I'll Always Be Here
by LanceSennin
Summary: Conan and Haibara's relationship start at a vacation to Hawaii where a Black Organization member is also heading. Their feelings for each other start to grow. This also tells how they'll bring an end to the organization. Possible OCs and OOCs! I don't own Detective Conan or any of the characters. PART OF A HUGE COAI SERIES... Enjoy!
1. Feelings

_**Hi, everyone! This is my second fanfic and I already know my first one is a failure. So I'll try to make up with this. This is not a oneshot, rather a real story with a good plot and many chapters. Again, this'll be about Conan and Haibara. This'll be my last Conan x Haibara fanfic for a while, I want to get started on other couples from the series. I've also started making plans on Naruto fanfics. As we all know, I don't own anything, but if I do, I would like Conan to give Haibara a chance. She deserves it. I'm not against Shinichi x Ran, I love that couple, but I feel like Haibara/Shiho deserves a chance. Ok, let's move to the story. This takes place in many places, specifically a cruise ship, Professor Agasa's home, Shinichi's home, Mouri's home, and the Organization's HQ. I'm not lemon-hungry, so each chapter won't have lemons in it. Those would just happen occassionally. With that being said, Let's move to the fic!**_

* * *

Conan Edogawa held on to the railing and stared at the setting sun. He was the only one of all his companions who was on the deck. Everyone else were enjoying themselves in a specific room. 'God, I wish there was a case right now en route to Hawaii,' he thought. 'I could solve it before we even get there! And with Hattori here, it won't be a problem! Or I could go talk to Haibara about what happened on the phone. Otherwise she'll never know. If we go back to our normal selves, I'll talk to Ran about her. I hope she understands.' The _Angeline_ cruise ship was halfway to Hawaii. He was just waiting for them to get to their destination. Three days has passed since they left Tokyo Harbor and he was bored all the time in the ship, starting from when they got the tickets in the first place.

 **Flashback**

 _"Conan-kun, we just bought tickets for a week at Hawaii!" Ran said._

 _"No, I don't want to go!" exclaimed Conan._

 _"Don't worry, Conan-kun, there's no need to be afraid about," Ran said. "The ship won't sink."_

 _'_ _That's not what I was talking about!' Conan thought. 'It's because Haibara is starting to progress on the antidote and I want to help her!'_

 _"Ran-neechan, it's not like that. Agasa-hagase wants my help in his inventions, so I want to go to his house. You and Uncle could just go without me." Conan started to sneak away, but Ran stopped him._

 _"Wait a minute, Conan-kun. Are you hiding something?" Ran smirked for Conan to be in fear._

 _'Oh, no! Gotta think fast!_ _' Conan thought as Ran's smirk became wider._

 _"No, Ran-neechan. I'll be just bored at the ship."_

 _"Don't worry, Conan-kun. Me and Dad will invite Agasa-hagase and the rest of your friends. That way, you can discuss the inventions while on the ship."_

 _Hiding behind Conan's smile was an annoyed look. 'You gotta be kidding me! Oh, well. I can still help her during the trip. It can't be worse than this. Hehehe.'_

 _"Oh, that's right! Kazuha-chan said that she will be coming along with Shizuka-san and Heiji-kun. How about that?"_

 _Hearing the last name in what Ran said made Conan thought about his most annoyed look as possible. 'COME ON! EVEN HATTORI?! DOES THIS MEAN A CASE WOULD HAPPEN THERE?! AARRRGGGH!'_ _"Okay, Ran-neechan," said Conan with a fake smile._

 _"Then it's settled. Now head to your room and pack your clothes. We're leaving first thing in the morning."_

 _"Hai." Conan turned around and headed to his room. He smirked and thought about the next days ahead. 'God, why do I have to go? The antidote won't progress if Haibara comes too. Wait... maybe it won't be so bad. I'm sure some good will come out of that trip.'_

 _Once Conan was nearly done, he heard the phone ringing outside. He ignored it, but it continued ringing. 'Come on Ran, answer the damn phone!' But it still rung. Conan had enough and stormed out._ _He looked around and noticed that Ran wasn't around. He saw Uncle Mouri sleeping soundly at his desk. 'Maybe she went out to buy food. Guess I'll have to answer this.' Conan picked up the phone and waited for a voice._

 _"Kudo-kun, what took you so long?"_

 _"H-Haibara?" asked Conan._

 _"Yeah. I got your friend's invitation -"_

 _"Wait, how did you know it was me?"_ _Haibara let out a groan of annoyance but still answered. "It's because Ran doesn't let the phone ring so long, and you do."_

 _Conan smirked and gave a pair of flushed eyes. "Okay, what were you saying?"_

 _"As I was saying, I got Ran's invitation to the vacation trip. And we would go with you."_

 _"Seriously?"_

 _"It'll bring good to us, don't worry."_

 _"How could going on a vacation for a week help us with our condition?"_

 _"I heard that a member of the Black Organization will be attending the trip."_

 _Conan snapped out of his flushed look and became more serious. "Really? How did you know?"_

 _"I saw Gin and Vodka at the market earlier. They almost saw me but I managed to hide in a big basket. They were talking about a ship going to Hawaii and an officer of the organization will be representing the whole group at a meeting."_

 _"This could be our chance of exposing them and get the drug's data."_

 _"Be ready, Kudo-kun. We need to be careful during the entire trip. We never know when they have one or more allies with them. They could sneak up on us while we're investigating."_

 _"I know. See you tomorrow, babe."_

 _Haibara's narrow eyes snapped open when she heard the last word that escaped from him. "What did you say, Kudo-kun?" she asked with a little demand._

 _Conan instantly realized what she was talking about and thought about a quick way to cover it up. "I said, 'See you tomorrow, baby' because sometimes you cry like a baby. There! Bye!" With that, Conan put down the phone, breathing heavily. 'I should've been more careful. That wasn't the right time to tell her the truth. Maybe during the trip would be the perfect time.'_

 _'_ _'That's not what he said,' Haibara thought. 'What did he mean by it? Could it be... No. I'm not going to assume it. But on a scale of 0 to 100 percent, there's a 10 percent chance he meant it. I'll just wait for what he'll answer me during the trip. I'll ask him when we're alone.'_

 _Just when Conan was about to return to his room, the phone rang again. He groaned and answered the call. "Haibara, I told you that you cry like a baby, sometimes!" Conan yelled._

 _"Kudo, first of all, I'm not Haibara. Secondly, I don't cry like a baby, you know!"_

 _"Ha-Hattori? Sorry about that. It's just that I accidentally called Haibara 'babe' earlier."_

 _"I thought you like Ran, Kudo," Heiji said._

 _"Hey, I never said anything like that."_

 _"Does Haibara know?"_

 _"No, not yet."_

 _"Well, good luck with that. I've always noticed you two giving each other romantic gestures. I'll be looking forward to your future wedding. Anyways, Kazuha forced me and mom to go with you to the vacation at Hawaii."_

 _"That's great. I need your help anyway."_

 _"On what? Confessing to Haibara?" Heiji teased and chuckled._

 _Conan gave an annoyed look. "I can do that myself! But speaking of Haibara, she told me that a member of the Black Organization will be going as well."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yeah. She said that the member will be representing the whole syndicate at a meeting."_

 _"That's good to hear. We're getting closer to getting you both back to your original bodies. You can count on me."_

 _"Thank you, Hattori. Oh, and you might want to keep your dad in touch during the whole trip, the Organization might know that we're there too. " That was the last thing Conan said before putting down the phone._

 **End of Flashback**

"What are you doing, Kudo-kun?" said a voice.

Conan turned to see Haibara in all of her beauty. She wore a violet buttoned-up blouse that suited her strawberry blonde hair. She donned a yellow skirt that nearly covered her legs but stopped at her knees. But his eyes were focused on her beautiful face.

Haibara snapped his fingers in front of his face. "What are you looking at?" she demanded.

Conan snapped out of his trance and solely focused on her words. "Nothing," he replied with a grin.

"Like I said, what were you doing?"

"Just waiting for us to get there."

"Well, Ran wants you to go inside the Romance room (a room where everyone dances with their love interest). She wants to see you dance."

"All right. I'm getting bored, anyway." He followed her past the stairs to the main deck and headed below the pool area to the Romance room.

When they got inside, they saw Heiji dancing with Kazuha with Ran taking pictures of them. They also saw Mitsuhiko dipping Ayumi. Genta smiled and watched them from a chair at the buffet table.

'Good job, Mitsuhiko,' Conan thought. 'I knew you had it in you. Uncle's not here. Surely he's at the casino with Shizuka-san. And maybe Agasa-hagase is outside at the deck.'

Ran saw Conan and stopped taking pictures for a while. "Good thing you're here, Conan-kun. Go find a partner you want to dance with. If you don't find anyone, I'll be the one to dance with you."

"Hai."

"Hurry up, we're eating dinner later." She continued with her photographer duties to the Osakan couple. Conan turned to Haibara who was wide-eyed and had a massive blush on her face.

"It's better if you dance with your friend, Kudo-kun. I'll just read my magazines." She tried to walk out the door, but Conan holds her hand, stopping her. She turns around to face him as they move to the dance floor.

He pulls her to him as she shakes her hair off her face. He puts his arms on her waist while she rests her hands on his shoulders. They start to dance to the rhythm of the music as they didn't take their eyes off of each other. Haibara flowed with his dance movements easily as a small blush appear in both of their faces. Midway through the music, Conan spun her around with her back on his chest, he tried desperately to avoid an erection and it was a good thing that he did. As they swayed left and right, Haibara's face got redder from this experience. He spun her around again, causing her to break her blush, but they didn't avoid eye contact for a second.

As the bridge of the song was playing, they stopped moving all of a sudden. Haibara rested her left hand on his chest as she bit her lip and stared wide-eyed at him. Conan was wide-eyed as well, and was moving closer to her face, looking at her lips. She looked at his lips and made no attempt to stop or scream at him. She was hoping for this to happen. As inches became centimeters, their faces were nearly touching. They closed their eyes and were ready to lock their lips...

"Looks like you're already here," said a voice which forced the two to open their eyes and move away. They looked at who was speaking. It was Mitsuhiko with Genta and Ayumi. "Conan-kun, can we change partners, I want to dance with Haibara-san. You can dance with Ayumi-chan."

Conan didn't say anything but Haibara instantly went with Mitsuhiko. Conan gave a sad look upon this. Haibara also had a sad look with a blush on her face.

"Wait a minute, Haibara-san," said Ayumi. "Were you going to kiss Conan-kun?" she asked with a smirk.

Haibara maintained her calmness and matured attitude. She looked at her with a normal "Haibara" look and said, "Yoshida-san, I already told you. I don't feel that way towards Edogawa-kun. We're just friends."

"Okay, Haibara-san!" Ayumi walked happily to Conan and held on to his arm. Conan still had his sad look. "Have fun, you two!"

"Same to you two," replied Mitsuhiko. He then walked to his place earlier with Ayumi and started to enjoy the moment with Haibara while Genta continued eating at the buffet. Conan faced a smiling but a blushed Ayumi and started to dance while thinking about what Haibara said.

Little did he know that Haibara didn't mean what she said, and that it was just made up to avoid confessing to him, because she assumes that he loves Ran. She faced Mitsuhiko and he instantly spun her around. They thought of each other as they danced with their friends.

'Kudo-kun...' Haibara thought.

'Haibara...' Conan thought.

'I LOVE YOU!' they shouted at their minds at the same time.


	2. The Officer

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan.**_

 _ **What's up? My summer's been really good lately and I'm having so much fun writing this. It's play PS4 in the morning, play laptop in the afternoon and write story in the evening. The reason this is Rated M is because, obviously, a lemon will occur. But, you can't read it yet. I'll put it up near the middle of this story. If you like my story, please fave and give a review. If you do, I'll be more than happy to write with more work. And if get happy from the number of faves my fanfic's reached, I'll definitely write a sequel. With that taken care of, enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

Conan woke up to the loud sound of the ship stopping at the harbor. He slept early last night, not having any thing for dinner and just went to his bedroom that he shared with Uncle Mouri. Haibara, surprisingly, spied on him when he skipped dinner. She wanted to see if Conan was really going to sleep.

 **Last night...**

 _"Conan-kun, do you like Haibara-san?" asked Ayumi._

 _Conan spun her around and said, "Of course not. We're just friends."_

 _"But it looked like you were going to kiss—"_

 _"I wasn't going to kiss her, okay? I was just going to whisper something to her ear."_

 _"What were you going to say?"_

 _"I was going to say 'Do you like Mitsuhiko?'"._

 _"Oh, I get it." Afterwards, Conan dipped her so low and Ayumi blushed. She broke her eye contact with him until Conan brought her up again._

 _After a few more minutes of having fun, Ran went to the kids. "Come on, kids. We're having dinner. I'll call Dad and Hattori's mom. Heiji-kun and Kazuha-chan will lead you to our table."_

 _Before Ran could leave the kids, Conan walked up to her. "Conan-kun, what's the problem?" she asked._

 _"I don't want to eat. I'm going to sleep early, Ran-neechan," said Conan._

 _"Why?"_

 _"I'm just not hungry. Don't worry, Ran-neechan, I'll eat a lot tomorrow."_

 _"Um… All right. Go on."_

 _"See you tomorrow, Ran-neechan!" he exclaimed. Before he walked out the door. He turned around with a sad look and stared at the face of Haibara, who was wide-eyed at the moment, before walking out._

 _"Who was he staring at?" Kazuha whispered._

 _"I have no idea," Heiji replied. He set his eyes upon Haibara, and thought about his friend. 'Kudo, I wish you luck with this girl. Be sure to make me the best man on your wedding.' "Okay, kids! Let's go have dinner."_

 _Heiji's voice snapped the Detective Boys' out of their trance. All of them, except Haibara, yelled "Yeah!"_

 _"I hope they have Grilled Eels with Rice!" said Genta as they followed the detective._

 _"I hope every food there is delicious!" exclaimed Mitsuhiko._

 _Haibara, who was at the back, kept staring at the door since earlier. 'Kudo-kun, what's wrong with you? Is the Organization bothering you? Whatever it is, I'll figure it out."_

 _After eating dinner for half an hour, Ran looked at her watch. It was 7:38 PM. "Kids, your free to do whatever you want until 9:00. After that, we'll all go to bed. Hawaii's waiting for us tomorrow." All of the kids nodded in response, then went off. Ran had to carry Mouri back to his room, because he had fallen asleep after a long drinking session. Kazuha and Heiji went to the front deck to enjoy the view._

 _While the group was walking, Haibara silently snuck away. She went down the stairs to the bedrooms and looked inside Conan's room. He was already asleep. She went to the side of the bed and looked at the sleeping boy. 'Damn, he's cute when he's a child, and handsome as a teen. Kudo-kun, if you really love me, you're gonna have to prove it. I'm not some girl who likes to be with people. We both know that the two of us wanted to kiss earlier, so you have a chance at me.' She then walked out the room to find the others._

 **End of Flashback**

Conan looked out his window, and saw the beautiful green island. There was a meium-sized volcano in the middle and lots of trees are on the borders. He instantly realized they were there. 'All right! Now, time to find out where that meeting will be taking place and who that officer is,' he thought.

He changed his pajamas to a green polo shirt and pants. Then he silently walked out the door, trying to prevent Uncle Mouri from waking up. Conan let out a sigh of relief but then,

"Hey, Conan. Where are the others?"

Conan turned to face him.

"They told me they're waiting for us at the restaurant. You gotta hurry, Uncle."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he replied as he yawned and stretched his back.

Once Conan went out, he went to the restaurant and saw his friends, Ran, Agasa-hagase, Heiji, Kazuha, Shizuka-san, and Haibara were already sitting at a big rectangular table. "Conan-kun, where's Dad?" asked Ran.

"He just woke up," replied Conan. "He'll be here any minute."

"Then hurry up and eat. You have to eat a lot, you slept early last night."

"Hai." Conan chomped down on his delicious breakfast, which was eggs and bacon with French toast and pancakes. He already got a taste of American food when Haibara treated him to a foreign restaurant called "Seattle's Best". When they ate there, Conan promised her that he'll be the one who'll treat her next time.

"Wow, Conan-kun. I never knew you like American food," said Mitsuhiko.

"Well, it can't be Japanese all the time," replied Conan. My aunt (psst, Yukiko Kudo), always made me eat at Western restaurants."

Halfway through his meal, Kogoro arrived and sat on the table to eat his ramen breakfast. "So what are you all planning to do today?" he asked.

"Me and Kazuha-chan are going to the beach," said Ran.

"Guess I'll just walk around," said Heiji.

"I'll just stay in the cottages," stated Agasa-hagase.

"We're going to explore the whole island!" said Genta.

"Mouri-san, I'll just go with the girls," said Shizuka-san.

"All right. After I'm finished eating, let's get our luggages down to the cottages."

After Kogoro finished his food, which took about ten minutes, they went to their rooms to get their things. Afterwards, when they finished transporting all their luggages at the house, each of them went off with their own intentions.

The Detective Boys went to the southern part of the island where Heiji kept an eye on them. As Ayumi and the other two had fun exploring the place, Conan spoke with Haibara.

"When and where do you think the meeting will take place?" Conan asked.

"I haven't had the slightest idea, but I know that the officer of the organization has a ring with a snake on it, and he wears an earring," replied Haibara.

"That just made it easier."

"Why do you say so?"

"Because he can be seen thoroughly by navigating through the bushes here."

"But they could still hear the rustling of leaves."

"Don't worry, the bushes are just a distraction. Because I'm planning to catch them off-guard. When they're investigating the leaves to see someone's there, we'll knock them out."

"My, my, your plans are always dangerous, Kudo-kun." Conan smirked. "Good thing they work. Come on, let's go join the others, before they start to get suspicious." Haibara went to their friends at the waters and Conan followed behind her.

"Conan-kun! Ai-chan!" Ayumi called. "Come on, let's play in the water!" The two looked at each other and sighed. Then they went with Ayumi and the others. Heiji silently laughed from the trees in satisfaction.

 **That night...**

"Damn it, where the heck is that meeting taking place?!" Conan yelled.

"I don't know, Kudo-kun," said Haibara.

"If it's not here at the southern part, it also can't be on the northern part. That's where the people are! East and west aren't a good choice either, Those are the beaches. Where could it be?"

"Maybe the middle?"

"Don't joke around. A volcano is –" Conan cut off what he said and started to think hard. 'Hang on. No one would dare to look at a volcano. Then, could it be?!'

Conan held Haibara's hand, much to her shock, and they started to run back to the houses. "Where do you think you're going?!" she asked.

"I'm going to ask the locals a question. A really important question. Thanks, Haibara." The girl blushed and followed his lead.

Once they arrived back, they went to a nearby food stand. Conan, who was panting, asked the man who ran it, "Does the volcano still erupts?"

"No," the man replied. "In fact, it hasn't erupted at all. But, sometimes, people go inside it through a hole at the eastern side to enjoy the feeling of being inside one. Sadly, about a month ago, one or two tourists got attacked by spirits inside and they never got out. So nobody went inside it again."

"Arigatou. Come on, Haibara." They ran to the eastern side of the island and turned on their flashlight watches and started to look for the entrance.

"You're not scared of the spirits?" asked Haibara.

"Ahou. The reason someone died is because someone killed them or they got lost."

"I guess you're really hard to fool."

Conan continued their search for a few more minutes until they saw a black hole. It was the entrance and Conan immediately entered the volcano through it.

Haibara followed him, and to the pair's luck, the path had torches on the walls to keep track. They saw a dim light near the exit of the path, and Conan let out a smile of determination. 'We got you now. Your syndicate won't last long, that's for sure.'

Conan leaned further out but he was being careful on not to expose himself. Slowly, he began to pick up the voices of two individuals in the middle of the volcano.

"I expect our alliance would last for a time," said the man who wore a black polo with a red dragon design.

"I've talked to the boss, looks like we'll have some new friends," said the other who donned a black coat with a fedora.

'Which one of them's the one from the organization?' Conan thought. 'What did the other guy mean by that? Don't tell me there's another syndicate we have to deal with!'

"See you at the transactions, Tequila of the Black Organization."

"Likewise, Ryujin from the Dragon Syndicate."

Conan and Haibara were shocked and frozen in place when they saw the two shook hands. But it wouldn't last long. "What are you kids doing in there?!" a person yelled from outside.

Tequila and Ryujin looked on all sides of the volcano. They both drew out their guns, and tried to draw out whoever was spying on them.

"Come on, Haibara!" Conan whispered. He immediately took her hand and ran straight out to the exit.

Ran put her hands on her hips and asked with anger, "What were you two doing in there?"

"Ran-neechan, we just got lost," said Conan with a grin.

"Come on, you two." She gestured for them to follow her. "Everyone's been looking high and low for you both."

As they hiked back, Conan took the opportunity to speak with Haibara. "Did you knew about that other organization?"

"No. That was the first time I ever heard of them."

"That's just great. Another syndicate with crazy members that are on the loose."

"Kudo-kun, the man called Ryujin said that they have an alliance formed with the Black Organization, for now. It must mean that they are rivals, or they just don't like to meddle with each other's businesses."

"I'm fine with the first one. Still, how can we deal with two syndicates at once?"

"Maybe let's leave them to the authority."

"I'd like that. But damn. When we got there, the meeting was ending, we were too late."

"Don't worry, Kudo-kun. We've gathered enough information from them."

Tequila and Ryujin have finished searching the volcano. They absolutely have no idea who was trying to spy on them. "Tequila, that's enough searching," said Ryujin. "The voice earlier said that it was just some kids."

"Maybe you're right. Come on, let's get out of here." They withdrew their pistols and proceeded out the exit. As they are walking out, Tequila noticed a certain something on the ground. "You know, Ryujin, it wasn't kids."

"What are you talking about?"

"This." He held up the strawberry blonde strand of hair he picked up from the ground.

"So? It's just from the kid's hair."

"I know this hair and it wasn't a kid. It's a chemist." Tequila raised an eyebrow in confusion.

'Sherry, I'm sure my cousin will be delighted to see you,' Tequila thought.


	3. 1912 Incident

_**I want to thank JaySherry for giving me my first review. You, man, are the first person to ever give me a review in my stories. Be alerted by this, the death of a beloved character from the series will be shown in the final battle. I'm already telling you this to avoid questioning when I release the chapter. Don't worry about it, I don't own Detective Conan/Case Closed so I'm pretty sure that character won't really die in the anime or manga. But, to be fair, you, my readers, can suggest who is going to die. If you get lucky, your idea might be chosen. I'm sorry, but a good story also needs a bit of tragedy. It's not always happy endings with people. With that being said, let's get on with this!**_

* * *

Conan and Haibara, along with Ran, went back to the cottages to eat dinner. When they opened the door to theirs, everyone was already at the dining table. "Hey, brat? Where have you been this time?" Mouri asked.

"We just got lost, Uncle," replied Conan.

"Hmph. Come on, eat your food. We have a long day tomorrow."

Conan sat next to Heiji and Haibara sat beside Ayumi. Heiji whispered, "Hey, Kudo. Did you see the meeting?"

"When we got there, the meeting was ending. They were inside the volcano, so we didn't hear everything. All we know is that the organization is teaming with another syndicate."

"What's the name of the other one?"

"If I recall correctly, it's the Dragon Syndicate."

The name clicked in Heiji's mind. "Hey, I've heard of them!"

"Really?!"

"Well, not much. You see, a drug dealer in Osaka was captured about 4 months ago. We searched through his belongings and the only suspicious thing we saw was an I.D. that shows that he's a member of the Dragon Syndicate. He was going to be questioned the following morning, but he hanged himself."

"Sounds like he's a loyal one. What did you notice about his I.D.?"

"There was nothing there except for a dragon emblem, the organization's name, and his picture."

"Damn it, that's not going to help at all. Guess I'll have to investigate them the old-fashioned way."

"What was the name of the member of the Dragon Syndicate?"

"Think it was Ryujin."

"What about the organization?"

"Tequila."

"If you need anything, I got your back."

"Thanks, Hattori."

After finishing their dinner, everyone went to their rooms to get some shut-eye. The next days that followed didn't work out for Conan. There was no trace of the two people at the volcano and he was forced to play with his friends rather than investigating. Soon after, the end of the week came and everyone started to pack their things.

"It was so fun here!" squealed Ayumi.

"Yeah! It's kinda sad that we're about to leave," said Mitsuhiko.

"I'll miss the eels here, they were so delicious," said Genta.

The three shared a laugh as Conan thought to himself, 'You guys, you never get old with your jokes. I sure hope that Tequila shows up at the ship. I need more leads about Gin and Vodka.'

When every tourist at the island got back to the Angeline, the ship sailed back to Tokyo. Two usual days has passed and they were halfway back home.

 **That night...**

Conan was walking down the lower halls with Haibara, talking about what would they do when they encounter the organization again. But they were forced to stop when they saw a familiar person standing beside a door.

Conan eyed the man up and down and his eyes widened. 'Shit! It's Tequila!' he thought. He grabbed the girl's hand and hid at the other hallway.

They watched Tequila as he looked back and forth to see if anyone was nearby. Seeing none, he went inside the door. "What do you think is he doing there?" asked Haibara.

"I don't know," replied Conan. "Maybe there's a meeting again."

"That's possible. Or maybe he killed someone and is trying his body."

"That's also possible. Let's take a look at that room after he gets out with his buddy." The girl nodded.

It wasn't more than five minutes before Tequila went out. They were stunned to see that he had nobody else with him.

"Looks like there was no meeting, Kudo-kun."

"Let's wait for him to get out of here."

When Tequila left, the two went inside the room. It turned out to be the room for the lower pipes. They turned on their flashlight watches and searched high and low for clues on what did the officer do here.

"Kudo-kun, looks like we were wrong."

"Yeah. What did he do here? If he didn't have a meeting, what could he possibly he up to? There are no bodies here to say he murdered someone."

"Come on." She held his hand and he blushed a little. "Let's go back. Maybe we can catch up to him." Conan nodded and ran out the room.

However, they were wrong with what they thought. Earlier, Tequila unscrewed a large pipe and planted a small time bomb inside. He put the pipe back together and went out. There was 10 minutes to go before the ship sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

 **7 minutes remaining**

"Hey, did Ran tell you where they are?" asked Conan.

"No," replied Haibara. "I was just following you, I didn't care.

Conan sighed. "Come on, let's find them."

"Can we rest a little? I'm getting sleepy."

"All right. Just for two minutes, okay?" The girl nodded. They sat at a nearby bench together. Without noticing, she already fell asleep on his shoulder. He blushed a little but did not wake her.

Meanwhile, Ran and the others are at the deck. "Where could those two be?" Ran asked everyone.

"Maybe they're already at the dining area," said Mouri.

"Those two probably want time to themselves!" Ayumi squeaked with a smirk.

"We have to find them. We're not eating dinner until we do so."

Everyone nodded and continued with their search. The names, Conan-kun and Haibara-san were heard all over the ship.

 **5 minutes remaining**

"Come on, Haibara, let's get going." Conan tried to wake her up.

"Let me sleep." She held his arm tight to prevent him from getting away.

Conan's face went tomato red, but he had the guts to say something only gentlemen would say. "Guess I'll have to carry you." He sat on the floor, grabbed her legs and carried her on his back piggy-back style.

Conan didn't know that Haibara blushed behind him while he walked back.

"Oh my god, I forgot how to get back to the deck."

"Don't worry, I didn't forget, Kudo-kun."

"Thank goodness. Well, tell me where to go, you're getting heavy."

Even with Haibara leading the way, it still took them more than 3 minutes to go the right way back. Because they had to stop for a few seconds so Conan could catch his breath. Haibara said to let her walk, but he insisted that he carry her, which made her blush big-time.

 **1 minute remaining**

Tequila looked at his watch while he was in the casino. 'Look at the time, Sherry. Time to say goobye. I'll have my cousin look at you before we part ways.' He gave an evil grin while smoking a cigarette.

 **30 seconds remaining**

"Hey Haibara," Conan whispered.

"Hm?"

"There's something I want to say to you."

"That's funny cause I got something to say as well. You go first."

 **20 seconds remaining**

"Uh… I just want to say… uh…" The clock was ticking by the second. The bomb is about to go off in a few seconds.

 **10 seconds remaining**

"Get on with it, Kudo-kun."

"Okay."

 **5 seconds remaining**

"I just wanted to say that…"

 **3 seconds remaining**

"Haibara, I lo—"

BOOM! The bomb instantly engulfed the room in flames and water instantly poured in. The ship is going down. Debris flew out to the hallways, hitting people; luckily, the two were near their destination.

"What the hell was that?!" Haibara screamed.

"Sounded like an explosion or something! Wait! Don't tell me Tequila planted a bomb earlier in the room!"

"He got us. Maybe this was their plan all along."

Conan felt a surge of adrenaline and started to get stronger. He pushed the girl up against him, not letting her go, and proceeded to run up the stairs to the deck. "Come on, we need to find the others!" Haibara held on tightly as she blushed bright red at his actions.

It didn't take long before they found everyone. Conan let Haibara go as they ran to them. "Conan-kun!" Ran yelled. "You made us so worried! What was that loud sound just now?"

"Ran-neechan, a bomb exploded at the lower deck," Conan explained.

"A bomb?!" Mouri exclaimed.

"Are you sure, Conan-kun?"

"He's telling the truth," said Haibara. "We felt it near the stairs. There's not much time before this ship sinks to the bottom of the –"

RRRNNGGG. The ship slowly started to tilt to its tail. "Everyone, let's get to the lifeboats!" Mouri ordered.

Everyone on the ship solely focused on how to escape. While running, Heiji asked Conan, "Kudo! What happened down there?"

"Tequila planted a bomb at the lower pipes. We thought he had a meeting there or he killed someone, but we were wrong. He got us," said Conan.

"Don't blame yourself. We'll make it outta here."

By the time they reached the opposite side of the ship where the lifeboats are, everyone on the ship, tried to get to the boats first. One of the officers screamed, "We have enough lifeboats! Family by family! Slowly and carefully, we'll do this!"

5 minutes has passed and the ship sent out an SOS. "Hattori, how long would this ship stand it?" asked Conan.

"From its current condition, I'd say two hour and a half."

"That's pretty long, looks like we're lucky."

Half an hour has passed and it looked like they were lucky. They were going to board the last lifeboat but sadly, the ship's crew, along with some loners, are still on the ship. Everyone started to get in. Mouri entered first with Ran and they assisted Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi in getting in. Heiji and Kazuha followed with Shizuka-san and then Agasa-hagase. Conan was about to enter with Haibara when a ship's officer stopped them. "This boat can only carry ten people! One more than that and the boat won't float!"

Everyone's eyes widened upon hearing the fact. The people at the boat looked at the two of them with concern and fear. Ayumi cried loudly, while Shizuka-san, Kazuha, and Ran were threatened by tears. Heiji, Agasa-hagase, Genta, and Mitsuhiko were forcing themselves not to cry. Haibara let go of his hand and turned away. Conan stared at her for a moment and came up with an idea. "Kid, my friends can't handle the people any longer," said the officer, referring to his friends who are desperately trying to stop the massive number of people trying to get in.

"Heiji-neechan!" Conan yelled. "Call your dad, and pick us up here on a chopper. I'm not going to leave Haibara here!" Haibara's eyes widened and blushed. Heiji nodded in response. "I'm counting on you!"

"Wait, gaki! You're not thinking straight!" exclaimed Mouri.

"Uncle, it'll be all right. Heiji-neechan will save us."

"Conan-kun, be safe!" shrieked Ran. "You too, Ai-chan!" It was this time that Haibara faced them all again.

"Mr. Officer, they're good now," said Conan. "Drop them."

The officer nodded and cut the rope that was holding the boat in place. "Conan-kun! Ai-chan!" were the last words that the three children said before the boat landed on the ocean. Mouri and Agasa-hagase grabbed the oars and started paddling. Heiji grabbed his phone and called his father. Everyone else can't stop thinking of the two who were left behind.

When Conan saw that the boat was getting away. He faced Haibara. "Why Kudo-kun?" she asked. "Why did you leave yourself behind? You could have had a chance to live!"

Conan grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Listen to me, Haibara! Or Shiho. I'm not going to leave you behind. You're too important to me! And it's because I love you!"

Haibara was wide-eyed and tears started to flow out of her face. "You… love… me?"

Conan wiped her tears off her face. "Yes, that's what I was going to tell you earlier."

Suddenly, joy filled up the girl. She gave him the biggest smile she could give."Oh, Kudo-kun!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and their lips shared their first kiss. Conan closed his eyes and his arms wrapped around her waist. She wrapped her arms around him further, deepening the kiss. He didn't want the moment to end, neither did Haibara. But a ship that they were on is sinking, so they were forced to pull away. "Come on, Kudo-kun. Or should I say, Shinichi. We still have to escape this ship."

Conan grabbed her hand as they made thsir way through the large crowd. "Come on, Haibara. If we get to the top of the ship, Hattori will have a good chance of picking us up."

Haibara nodded. "Oh, I almost forgot, Kudo-kun. What do you think happened to Tequila?"

"He must have escaped by now. I'm sure of it. He won't risk his life here." When they saw that so many people are blocking their way to the top, they went inside the dining room and slowly made their way out the other door. The next room was the casino. After they closed the entrance door, Conan was hit by a baseball bat in his back, knocking him out. Haibara was shocked to see him like that.

"Kudo-kun! What happened? Wake up! Wake up!" she screamed as she tried to wake him.

"He's not going to wake up, Sherry," said a familiar voice that made Haibara cover her mouth in fear and her eyes clearly showed that she knew who was talking.

* * *

 ** _P.S. The one who's kicking the bucket WILL not be Shinichi or Shiho. But it is someone who's very close to the both of them. Guys, it's just one tragedy, bear with it. I know I gave a spoiler, but this serves as an early warning. By the way, has anyone here played "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain"? If there is someone, can you give tips on how to eliminate comms equuipment from enemy bases? My enemies always call for backup and it's gettin' kinda hard._**


	4. At Death's Door

_**Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter. I'm starting to enjoy writing this for a while, and it has become part of my daily routine. The four chapters, consider them as an intro. I'll save the last 5 chapters for the battle against the organization, the wedding of Shinichi and Shiho, and the epilogue. Everything between that, is gonna be good. I'll be putting mystery cases in the story and I'm gonna need help from my readers. Please PM me ideas about mystery cases that you'd like me to write. I'm hoping for a murder case next chapter. After that, you're welcome to suggest kidnapping cases, arson cases, cases that involve Hattori Heiji, ones that involve the Detective Boys, etc. Please. I can't write the next one without your help. I'll be expecting more than 5 messages before April 30. If there are no suggestions on the deadline, I'll be forced to ask help from my friends instead. With that being said, let's move on to the fic!**_

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"Kudo-kun!"

The boy started to get back to his senses. He had no idea what happened earlier, all he knew was he and Haibara went to the casino in their mission to escape the sinking ship.

"Kudo-kun!"

Conan finally woke up after Haibara screamed his name over and over again. His vision was still blurry, he could barely identify if Haibara really was the person in front of him. A few seconds later, he confirmed that she really was there, just not in the situation he thought.

"Looks like our guest has woke up," said a voice.

Conan looked around him to see that they were surrounded with people in a black trench coat. The Black Organization had captured them. Haibara was in the middle of everyone with her hands tied while he was held up by his arms. Conan looked at who was talking and saw that it was Gin. Vodka was beside him, but Vermouth wasn't present.

"Who could've imagined that the high school detective we thought dead was actually alive?" said Gin.

"How did you know I was still alive?" asked Conan.

"It's because Tequila here faked his death after the explosion to investigate you."

"What do you mean, 'fake his death'?"

"You don't remember seeing him? Take a good look."

Conan observed Tequila and remembered something from the sight of his face. He was involved in a bombing case and Conan thought he was dead. "You're that man from the explosion! I thought you died!"

"I was saved by my comrades at the last second", said Tequila. "To be honest, if it wasn't for them, I'd be a ghost right now."

'Crap!' Conan thought. 'I really thought he died there and another person just took his codename! I need to think of a plan to escape from them.'

"After saving Tequila, he went to your house everyday to investigate," said Vodka. "One time, he noticed that your clothes were gradually decreasing, which led us to thinking you still might be alive."

"How did you know who I am?"

"Well, we were going through a family album of yours and saw what you look like when you were a child. It's really not that different compared to what you look right now," answered Gin.

"What are you going to do to us?"

"Isn't it obvious? We'll kill you."

Gin took his eyes off the boy and looked at the girl. "Well, Sherry. I think we have some business to finish." He pulled out his pistol and aimed it at her.

Conan kicked the man who was holding him in the crotch to break free and started to run to Haibara. Gin noticed him but made no attempt to stop. "Goodbye, Sherry." Haibara's eyes were in fear as he fired his gun with a smile.

"HAIBARA!" Conan, somehow, someway, managed to push her out of the way, getting shot in the stomach in the process. He knelt on the floor with his arms clutched on his abdomen.

Haibara looked at him with great concern. He's losing blood every second and he could die anytime soon. "Gin, you bastard!" she shrieked with tears in her eyes. "You shouldn't have involved him in this! This is between us!"

"Oh, but he knew about us. I can't let that happen. Looks like he called you by another name. Haibara, wasn't it? What a nice name, but it won't last long. There are plenty of bullets with me, so let's finish this." He reloaded his pistol and aimed it at the girl again. Haibara closed her eyes in fear.

THUD! The casino door sprang open and a voice announced, "This is the police! Lower your weapons and get down on the ground! Now!"

Suddenly, more than a dozen police officers already went inside and Conan could barely see Hattori Heiji with his dad, Hattori Heizo. 'Thanks, Hattori. I owe you one,' he thought as he collapsed.

"Shit!" exclaimed Vodka.

"Come on!" said Gin as he grabbed the coat of his partner and jumped out of a window. Their escape led the squadron of police officers to start firing. The men from the organization engaged in battle. Haibara took her opportunity to sneak to Conan, who was lying on the floor.

"Are you alright, Kudo-kun?" she asked.

"Just fine," he replied.

"I'm sorry you got involved in this."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."

"Why did you save me again? You risked your life again just to save me. Why did you do it?"

"First of all, if you die, we won't be back to our original bodies. Second, I won't let the… one… I…" His vision became so blurry that he didn't know who he was talking to anymore. He then passed out with Haibara shedding tears for him.

Heiji crouched and sneaked to them to avoid getting shot. Once he saw Conan lying on the floor, a tear flowed out of his eye. "Kudo, what happened to you?!" he demanded.

"Gin shot him," said Haibara. "I was the one who's about to be shot when he pushed me out of the way. Listen, if we don't take him to the hospital soon, he'll die of blood loss."

Heiji wiped his eyes and nodded. He carried Conan with his arms and sneaked back to the door with Haibara. A member of the organization saw them and shot Heiji in the leg. Heiji screamed in pain. Heizo saw this and killed the man himself.

"Son, are you all right?" asked Heizo.

"Yeah, dad, I'm fine," replied Heiji. "Come on, let's get back to the chopper." Heizo nodded and ordered some policemen to assist the three to the helicopter. Once the three made it inside, they departed the sinking ship.

The helicopter, after an hour of flying, landed at the top of the police headquarters of Tokyo. Inspector Megure came with Detective Takagi and the officers aboard the chopper explained the series of events at the ship to the two of them. Heiji explained it further, but they were forced to stop when Haibara screamed that Conan had stopped breathing. Takagi quickly called for an ambulance and they were able to get him to the hospital in time.

Hours later, the ship that came to the Angeline's aid, called the Isaac, arrived at Tokyo Harbor. Heiji waited for the others to arrive. Then, everyone was there.

"Hattori-kun, where's Conan-kun?" asked Ran. "You came back for him, right?"

"That kid is in the hospital right now," replied Heiji.

"What happened to him?!"

Heiji lowered his cap. "He was shot." Hearing this made everyone gasp in fear.

"Who did it to the gaki?" asked Mouri.

"Some member of a syndicate."

"What happened to Ai-chan?" asked Ayumi.

"Oh, that little girl is in the hospital too, but don't worry, she's just there to keep the boy company."

"At any rate, let's get to the hospital," said Mouri. Everyone nodded and they called for two taxis. Once they made it, they asked nurses there on where is Conan being treated. One nurse said that he is in the emergency room, having a blood transfusion since he has lost a considerable amount of blood. The children saw Haibara sitting outside and reunited with her happily. Everyone also sat, waiting for the results of the doctors inside.

Three hours later and a doctor came out. "How did it go, doctor?" asked Mouri.

"The transfusion is a success, he's stable," replied the doctor which gave everyone sighs of relief, especially Ran, Haibara, Heiji, and Ayumi. "But he's out cold for now. I suggest you talk to him after a few more hours when he wakes up." Mouri nodded and went back to his seat.

Two hours later, Conan rubbed his eyes and started to open them slowly. A white ceiling greeted his eyes then he looked at his clothes. Realizing he was wearing a patient's clothes, he sat up slowly to avoid the pain in his stomach. He noticed everyone he was with in the ship is inside the room. "Would you look at that? He finally woke up," said Kazuha.

The Detective Boys immediately went to him and Ayumi squealed, "You made us worry so much, Conan-kun!"

"We thought for a second, when we heard you were shot, you died," said Mitsuhiko.

"Conan, we can't say how happy we are to see you still breathing," said Genta.

"This is your one weakness, Edogawa-kun, you're too careless and reckless," said Haibara.

"Well, I'm sorry if I made you all worry," replied Conan.

"Conan-kun, if you need anything, just say a word!" said Ran. The boy nodded. Everyone noticed the sun was going down. Uncle Mouri rose from his seat and yawned.

"Well, gaki, looks like you'll be here for a while. We'll be staying Haido hotel until you recover," said Mouri. "Come on, everyone, let's go. We'll visit again tomorrow." Conan lied back down on the bed.

Everyone except Haibara went out. Conan had concern for her and started a conversation. "Haibara, aren't you going with them?"

"I'll follow them later," she replied. "I need to discuss a few things with you."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I need to know if you really meant those things you said to me back at the ship, I don't want my heart to be torn anymore, I've barely survived my sister's death, and I don't think I can carry it anymore if my heart becomes broken."

"Of course I mean it. Everything I said is true. My mom told me a few months ago, when we were going to watch Kamen Yaiba at the studio, you looked at my face ten times and she said that when a girl stares at a boy's face many times is because she likes him or he has something on his face. I wouldn't believe it, because you only think of me as a friend and a test subject. But when I saw your reaction when I asked you if there was something on my face, I realized you did have feelings for me. I began to reconsider it at first, but I never knew I was falling for you as well."

Haibara chuckled a bit. "Ahou. I don't deserve you."

"Why do you say so?"

"It's because of me why you're like that right now. Your life was ruined because I created that damn drug. If I hadn't created it, you'd be happy with your childhood friend."

"Don't say that. To be honest, being a kid has its perks. And if I hadn't met you, my life wouldn't be complete. Sure I thought you were some sort of threat when I found out you were once a member of the organization, but my feelings got the better of it. You are the only one I love, and no other girl is going to change that." Conan reached his arm out and cupped her cheek.

"What about Ran? How are you going to tell this to her?"

"I'm going to confront her when I go back as Shinichi. I gotta stop her from hurting herself as soon as possible. Now go on and join the others. Surely, they're starting to get worried about you.

"I love you… Kudo-kun." She gave him a quick kiss on his lips then went out the door and headed to Haido hotel.

A few minutes after Haibara left, the door opened once again. 'Oh, finally, some doctors,' he thought. 'I'm starting to get bored, actually.' But to his surprise, it weren't doctors who came inside. But rather, two police officers that he knows so well.

"Hello, Conan-kun," said Sato.

"Takagi-keiji, Sato-keiji, what are you doing here?" asked Conan.

"Well, we wanted to make sure you were okay."

"If that's all, then I'm fine. I'm one the road to recovery, so you can leave now."

"Actually, we're also here to ask you a few questions," said Takagi.

"What is it?"

"We want to get further details about the syndicate who captured you at the ship."

"I don't remember much, but I do know that their only way to tell members from civilians is through their black, crow-like trench coat," said Conan with a grin.

"Hang on. What business would they have with a kid like you?"

Conan's face flushed. "What are you talking about, Takagi-keiji?"

"I mean, isn't kind of weird that some syndicate is after a kid? Unless you did something that could expose them, why would they chase you?"

Conan started sweating. 'Looks like there's no way out this time,' he thought. 'I should tell them.' Conan gave a sigh. "Okay, I'm going to be completely honest. I'll tell you both the truth. But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone, not even Megure-keibu or other policemen about this."

"All right, Conan-kun."

"The truth is, I'm not really a kid."

"What do you mean?" asked Sato.

"I mean, I look like a kid, but my brain the mind of a teenager."

"How could that happen?"

"The organization we were talking about has a created a dangerous drug that can kill people. However, there is a rare side effect where in every part of a person's body except the brain and some parts will be returned to a kindergarten state. I'm the first one to experience it."

"Then what is your real name?"

"Funny. You don't seem to remember me. Well, you'll eventually remember, because there is always only one truth!"

The last words Conan spoke clicked in Takagi's mind. 'Those words, I know them. Impossible! How could he—'

"That last line you spoke," said Takagi. "I know them. Only one person I know would say those."

"Who is it, Takagi-kun?" asked Sato.

"It's none other than a high school detective who always helps the police in solving cases. You saw him recently as well."

"You don't mean-?!"

"Yes," said Conan. "I'm Kudo Shinichi." Conan took off his glasses for them to see how he is closely similar to the high school detective in appearance.

"But how did you shrink?" asked Takagi.

"What happened?"

"I was with Ran at the amusement park about a year ago. I saw two men in black making suspicious actions the whole afternoon so I decided to go investigate. Then they knocked me out and forced me to take the drug."

"How can we get you back to being a teenager?" said Sato.

"The Black Organization holds the drug's data. If we could get it, Agasa-hagase may be able to create an antidote."

"I see. Come on, Takagi-kun, let's inform Megure-keibu about that syndicate." They started to walk out the door when Conan's voice stopped them.

"You two," he said as he put his glasses back on. "I trust you both not to give my secret to anyone. Please. When the time comes, I'll explain everything myself." The two officers nodded and walked out the door.

* * *

 ** _So, did you like the four chapters? Please give a review. Like I said before, I'm seeking help from all of my readers to suggest a murder case for the next chapter. Heck, you can even come up with the plot itself! You can even suggest the names of the characters. All up to you. Again, I'm expecting more than 5 messages before April 30. Until then, enjoy thinking!_**


	5. Laundromat Murder Case

**_Sorry for the waiting. Kinda disappointing that I didn't get any suggestions. Let's try to make it up for this chapter, guys. I need to get started on Chapter 7. Enjoy the mystery!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: You know..._**

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A week has passed since Conan was released from the hospital. Before going back to the agency, though, he took a detour to Agasa-hagase's house for one simple reason. Haibara, who was sitting at the door, greeted him back with an open hug and, luckily, the Detective Boys passed by the front gate and they saw Conan. They went inside immediately and gave a four-way hug to their leader.

At the agency, Mouri was watching a new shoe of Okino Yoko happily, when Ran suddenly turns the TV off. "Ran, why did you turn it off?! I was getting to the good part!" he said.

"Dad, the laundry needs to be done," she said with a smirk.

"We have a washing machine, just wash them there." He turned on the TV again, only for Ran to turn it off again.

"Our washing machine broke down this morning and needs to be repaired or replaced. In the meantime, take all our laundry to the laundromat, since you don't want to do it manually."

"Can't you do it by yourself, I'm watching here." he pointed to the TV.

"I'm making our lunch so you do it. If you make it quick, maybe you can still catch up with whatever you're watching."

"All right, all right." He slowly rose from his seat and walked to the couch where Conan was reading another Sherlock Holmes novel. "Come on, gaki, you're coming with me."

Conan shrugged his shoulders and followed Mouri to get all their laundry before heading out the door.

It took them a mere 3 minutes to get to the laundromat. The place was about the size of a convenience store then they made their way in. The doors were push-pull ones. "Good morning!" a man's voice said from the counter. The two turned to her. "We wash clothes in less than a day, otherwise it's free! What can I do for you? I'm Izumi Akihito, the manager and cashier." The man looked like a young adult that ages 28, with brown hair and a scar on his chin.

"A manager and cashier at the same time? That's unusual," said Mouri.

"It's getting bored lazing around all day, monitoring your employees so I decided to do some work."

"I see. Well, here's our laundry." Mouri carried the basket of clothes to the table. The basket was full of clothes, with Mouri's as the majority.

"Kawakami-san!" Akihito called. A beautiful blonde girl came running to them. "This is Kawakami Yuri. One of my two employees." Yuri bowed to the two customers.

"Two? Why do you have only two?" asked Mouri.

"Well, this is not a large laundromat that can wash hundreds of clothes in an hour. And to be honest, you're the one of the only customers we had in a month. Kawakami-san," he turned to look at the girl.

"Take them to number 5." Yuri bowed and carried their laundry. She had a hard time, which forces Mouri to lend a hand.

"Ah, no, no, miss, let me carry it for you."

"Don't worry about it. I got it under control." The number 5 Akihito was talking about was a washing machine in the middle. There were 3 columns that can be seen from the entrance with 4 each, so the store had 12 washing machines. Like what Akihito said, they're not that popular with the people.

"Say, miss?" asked Mouri.

"Please call me by my name," replied the girl.

"Okay, Kawakami-san. Why did you work here?"

"There's no one to support the family. My father left me, my mother, and my other 2 younger sisters. My mother has a terrible sickness, so I'm the one who's working to get money."

Mouri noticed something on her neck. A beautiful pearl necklace which he had never seen before. "Where did you get your beautiful necklace? It must have cost a fortune!"

"This was the last gift I received from my father before he left for America." she said, looking at her accessory.

As she put their clothes inside the washing machine, a scream forces the 3 to look at the counter. "I'M NEVER GOING BACK TO THIS PLACE!" bellowed a man who was storming out the front door.

"Wait, sir! There must be a malfunction with the machine!" yelled Akihito. The man stopped in his tracks.

"TELL THAT TO THIS PIECE OF SHIT WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF MY FAMILY'S CLOTHES!" he said, pointing to the guy beside Akihito.

"Hey, I never knew that the machine was broken!" replied the man.

"OH, DID YOU NOW? I DON'T GIVE A SHIT! MY FAMILY DIDN'T MAKE IT TO OUR SUPPOSED FLIGHT TO LONDON BECAUSE OF YOUR TRASH!"

"Watch your mouth! Just because you are a customer doesn't mean I won't hold back on you!"

The man started to angrily walk to the employee, before Akihito stepped in. "Sir, I'll just give your money back then leave." He picked up 400 yen from the register and returned it.

The man counted his money and smirked. "Good thing you gave me this back. Otherwise, the cops would pay you a visit."

He went out the door, far from their sight.

"JERK!" shrieked the employee.

Mouri, Conan, and Yuri went to them. "What happened?" asked Mouri.

"His family's clothes got ruined by a washing machine of ours. We had no idea a machine was broken here, but that's strange, I just had them checked yesterday," replied Akihito.

"Who's the guy beside you?"

"Oh, this is Kazushi Momoshiro." Kazushi stretched his hand out for Mouri to shake it.

"Well, you better go back to your clothes," said Kazushi. Mouri nodded and went back to number 5.

The pair got back home after 1, and Ran screamed at them as they arrived. "What took you both so long?!" she smirked.

"Ran, there was trouble in the laundromat, nothing more," said Mouri.

"Is that so? Or maybe you two went to a restaurant together to have fun! Why didn't you two invite me?!" They had confused eyes on their faces. "Oh, well. As long as you two get along, I have no reason to meddle with your bonding." A massive sweat drop appeared on both Mouri and Conan's faces. "Come on, let's eat lunch."

Before Conan could walk to the dining table, Mouri's hand stopped him. "Gaki, you're coming with me again tomorrow. Be sure to be up early so we can get our clothes early."

"Hai," replied Conan as the both of them went to the table.

 **The next morning...**

"Gaki, let me sleep…" Mouri mumbled.

"Ojii-san, you said to be up early so we can get the clothes!" replied Conan as he tried to wake him up. It was only 7 in the morning, and Mouri was still very asleep.

Conan had an idea and used every bit of his strength to push Mouri off the bed and into the floor. Once Mouri landed, his eyes opened and he yawned.

"Okay, okay, gaki. I'm up. Go eat your breakfast, I'll catch up." Conan went out to the table with Ran. Yet something strange was going on. Conan had finished eating but Mouri hadn't come out yet. He gave a sigh and entered the room again, only to find the lazy detective lying on the bed, still asleep.

Conan didn't want to push him off again because he had just finished eating. He went to Ran and whispered something to her ear. With eyes of determination, she cracked her knuckles and went to her father's room.

"Oto-san, I hope you like the early massage you wil be receiving," she said. Mouri's screams of pain can be heard outside the agency.

'Poor old man…' thought Conan.

The time was 9:39 when Mouri finished everything he had to do in the morning. He grabbed Conan's arm, who was busy watching TV and started to head out to the door.

"Ran, we'll be back, we're just going to grab our laundry," said Mouri who was still rubbing his eyes even after taking a bath. Ran simply nodded then the pair took off.

Once they were nearly there, they saw Akihito-san going to the laundromat as well. The two looked at each other for a moment then they ran towards him. Akihito-san became a little worried about hearing running footsteps behind him so he quickly spun around, facing them and taking up a judo stance. When he saw who it was, he lowered his stance. "Oh, it's just you two," he said. "You scared the heck out of me. I thought that some thief was after me."

Mouri gave an embarassed smile but spoke. "Are you trained in judo? I recognize that kind of stance from my training days."

"Yes, I have been training for 2 years already, it's a large world out here, filled with bad people, so I really need to learn how to defend myself."

"Come on, let's walk together."

"Okay."

Once they reached the door, small droplets of red met their eyes as they looked through the door. They looked at where the droplets were leading, only to find themselves shocked when a body was leaning against a washing machine with his hand clutching his left chest. A bloody knife was also near the body.

"Akihito-san!" Mouri called. "Open the door and call the police and ambulance!" The manager nodded and quickly brought out his keys and opened the door.

Mouri and Conan recognized the body. It was someone they saw from not so long ago. "Ojii-san, isn't that the man we saw yesterday?" Conan asked.

"There's no mistake about it." The detective went over to the man and checked for a pulse as Akihito-san entered the laundromat. "It's no use. He's dead."

Conan gave a growl of annoyance and started to investigate the body. He noticed something weird about the man's hand. It was closed very tightly, yet his clothes weren't touched. 'His hand… why is it clutched tightly? His clothes don't look like they were grasped. If this was a suicide, he'd stab himself and let the knife in his body. But… the knife is away from him." He brought out a specialized magnifying glass, designed for him by the professor that can identify if there are fingerprints on an item. He looked at the knife through the invention and saw no prints whatsoever on the weapon. 'Just as I thought! This is no suicide. This is a murder!'

A few minutes later, Kazushi-san arrived with Kawakami-san. Conan noticed the looks on their faces. Kazushi-san had a normal, wide-eyed look when you see a dead person but what's strange is that Kawakami-san raised an eyebrow as she looked at the body. 'Why is she raising her eyebrow? Is she expecting something else?' A few more minutes later, the Tokyo police arrived at the scene.

"The deceased is Renzo Matsumoto-san," a forensic scientist explained. "There's no doubt that the knife near the body was the murder weapon. He works at America but went home to spend the vacation with his family. The estimated time of death is between 2 AM and 4 AM."

"Go check the knife if it contains any fingerprints," Megure-keibu said. "And… as always… a certain someone is here," rolling his eyes on Mouri.

"Sorry Keibu, Ran wanted me to take our clothes to the laundromat.

"Well, it can't be helped. So do you think this is a suicide or not?

"I think it is obvious that this is a suicide, Keibu-dono."

"Before we jump to that, let us hear all the alibis of the people here at the time of the crime." He made the three staff members gather in front of them and asked, "Please tell me your name and your where were you between 2 AM and 4 AM."

"I'm Izumi Akihito-san, the manager. Me and my girl employee both left at 11 PM and we ate at a diner nearby. After that, I went to my home to get some sleep. I woke up at 7, got ready for the day ahead, then I met our two customers going to the laundromat as well."

"Kazushi Momoshiro. I always leave earlier than these two. Yesterday, I think I left around 8, because I had a date with my girlfriend at 10. Then, we had that date, went to her house, and I think you know what happens after that."

"My name's Kawakami Yuri. Like what Akihito-san said, we both left at the same time. I locked the door then I gave the keys back to him and we went to the diner. After eating, I went to my house to sleep."

"I see. Let's await the results of the forensic team on the knife to confirm if this is really suicide."

Conan was walking around the scene of the crime, thinking about their alibis, and how the culprit committed the crime. 'How did the culprit do it? There were small droplets on the floor. The droplets are everywhere. And… why was his hand clutched tightly? The police checked him and there was nothing there. Lastly, how did this become a locked room case?' Conan continued walking around the laundromat until he saw something shine from the washing machine where Matsumoto-san died. 'I see! I got it! I now know why his hand was clutched so tight!' Conan decided to leave the machine for now to focus on the trick in unlocking and locking the door.

'Damn it, there aren't any clues on how –' he was cut off when he saw Akihito-san put his hands on both pockets of his pants, Kazushi-san looking inside his wallet and Kawakami-san tapping the outside of both her pockets. 'So that's it! That person is the culprit! There's no doubt about it. However, there's no evidence to prove that they did it.'

Conan looked back at the washing machine and saw something shine from inside it again. 'What could that be? I know that Matsumoto-san put that there, but what exactly is it?' He then noticed someone inside the whole laundromat didn't have a certain accessory on them, which sparked in Conan's mind. 'So that's how it is. With this, I've solved the mystery behind this locked room murder!'

Conan walked up to Takagi who was standing near the door. "Oh, Ku— I mean… Conan-kun," the officer whispered. "Have you solved it yet?"

"Yeah. And I need your help." Conan whispered a very important task to Takagi that will solve the case.

"Are you sure?!" asked Takagi, who seem shocked.

"Yeah. Go and get to it. In the meantime, I'll solve this case." Takagi nodded and headed straight to the scene of the crime.

"Suicide!" Kazushi complained. "This is suicide, I tell you. Can I go now? I have another date with my girlfriend."

"He's right," said Kawakami-san. "There's no evidence showing this was a murder. We'll just be going." The two of them started to walk out, leaving Akihito-san.

"Wait, you two," said Inspector Megure.

'Sorry, Occhan, I'll take over from here,' Conan shot his tranquilizer to Mouri's neck and the latter sat down on the floor, leaning against a washing machine as he slept. Conan put a speaker on Mouri's neck and ran to the back.

"Wait a minute, you two!" said Mouri. The two employees stopped in their tracks. "If both of you leave now, you'll be the prime suspects of this murder case!"

Inspector Megure and everyone else's eyes widened. "WHAT?" he screamed. Just then, an officer walked to him.

"There were no fingerprints on the knife. We checked two more times after that to ensure it. Looks like Matsumoto-san didn't really commit suicide." he announced.

"Okay… Explain, Mouri-kun," said Inspector Megure annoyingly.

"Let's start with how this room was locked after the murder. When the culprit came to this laundromat around 1 or 2 AM last night, it was already locked. But, this was no problem for them, they had a spare key that will enable them to access this place anytime."

"That's impossible!" cried Akihito-san. "The keys are only held by me. I always go earlier than them, because they can't open the laundromat without me. Here, take a look!" he pulled out the place's keys from his right pocket.

"Oh? Is that it? Then could you please explain to us why an employee of yours is constantly asking if they could lock the door for you when you all leave?"

"Now that… you… mention it –" His eyes suddenly gave out signs of disbelief and fear.

"Yes. The murderer is none other than you, Kawakami Yuri-san!" Everyone turned to her with wide eyes as she stared at Mouri in disbelief.

Inspector Megure broke the silence by saying, "But, Mouri-kun, it's hard to duplicate a key without bringing the actual one."

"Mouri?!" yelled Kazushi. "You're that famous detective!" The other two suspects stared at him in awe.

"I know that. That's why she was the one who locked the door always for maybe a month so she could fully memorize the appearance of the key. I figured she already had that key a few days ago and she is just locking the doors now is to show that nothing weird happen." Kawakami-san started to glare at Mouri. "After you came back here, you called Matsumoto-san and told him to meet you here. When he reached the place, you stabbed him with the knife, then you exited the place."

"If that's true," said Megure. "Everyone, search for that spare key! Turn this place upside-down if you have to!"

"There's no need, Megure-keibu. Because she still has it in her pocket." Kawakami-san went wide-eyed, so did Inspector Megure. "I figured she forgot to leave it at home, she realized that after tapping her pockets earlier, so the best option for her is to wait for the police to leave and leave the key somewhere very far from here." But, nonetheless, the fat inspector went to the woman.

"I'm going to check your pockets." He reached inside her left pocket and found nothing. When he reached inside her right pocket, a metallic object came in contact with his hand. He brought it out and his jaw dropped. "Izumi-san, give me the keys." He compared the two keys. The key Kawakami-san had was indeed a duplicate. "You're right! This really is a duplicate."

Akihito-san looked at his employee with eyes of concern. "Kawakami-san, did you really –"

"Don't listen to him!" she shrieked. Her angry gaze turned to Mouri. "I don't care if you're that famous detective. I could use a spare key in case Akihito san's not around or when there's an emergency. And besides, you have no proof that I did this."

"If that's true, can you tell us what happened to your necklace?"

She was covered in shock. "M-my… n-ne-necklace…"

"It's gone now, isn't it? Because after you stabbed Matsumoto-san, he grabbed your necklace and it broke, sending the pearls flying everywhere. You stabbed him again, and he collapsed on his stomach. You then searched for every pearl you could find to prevent the police from seeing it. But, with the blood being on your gloves, you took advantage of it because it would drip and make droplets everywhere. Hence, the tiny droplets we found around this laundromat."

She continued being defiant. "And so? This doesn't count as proof. Who knew you were just a phoney…"

"However, you didn't know that Matsumoto-san continued breathing after you left." Everyone stared at him in awe and shock and Conan gave a smile. He knew he won. "When he collapsed, he saw a pearl in front of him, took it and hid it somewhere in his body. You were distracted by finding the other pearls. When you left, he continued breathing, struggled to sit and put the pearl he had inside the washing machine behind him. He closed his hand tightly to make the police notice that he held something in his hand. I saw you raising your eyebrow earlier, it's surely because the last time you saw him, he was lying on his stomach, and you don't recall him sitting. Takagi-keiji, bring it out!"

Using a small handkerchief, Takagi pulled out something from the washing machine where Matsumoto-san leaned on. It was the pearl that Mouri was talking about. Takagi-brought it to Inspector Megure, who began to examine it. "I'm sure that if we test that out, Matsumoto-san's fingerprints would be everywhere."

"But, Mouri-kun," said Megure. "How could she contact Matsumoto-san? She didn't know who he was. Unless he's—"

"My father," said Kawakami-san. Her two co-workers are shocked to hear this revelation. "He's the one who gave me my necklace. He left us for America, for his other wife."

"Why would you kill him?" Kazushi asked.

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" A year after he left, my mother had a terrible sickness. My father gave me and my two sisters money, but it wasn't enough. He said that it wasn't for my mother, it was for us when mother passes away." Tears started to flow out of her eyes. "Two months after that, my mother passed away. She said to me before dying, was to never forgive my father. A few more months later, my two sisters died in a bus accident. I was left alone. And my father invited me to come join his family. I was so angry, I changed my name so that one day I could get my revenge on him for killing my mom and sisters!" She then fell to her knees, crying.

As the police took away Kawakami-san, Ran showed up at the laundromat. "Oto-san, what took you so long?" she asked. "Don't tell there was another case?"

Mouri had just gotten up from his sleep and he was getting their clothes as he yawned. "Sorry, Ran. Don't worry, we got our clothes, we can go back now."

As they walked back home, the Detective Boys came across them. "Conan-kun!" they called.

"Hey, guys," said Conan.

"Are you free tomorrow morning?" asked Mitsuhiko.

"Yeah, why?"

"We're going to go to a forest tomorrow!" exclaimed Genta.

'Man, kids nowadays. Fine, I'll go with it.' "All right, let's meet Agasa-hagase tomorrow. Then, we'll go to where you want to go. I hope it's good."

"Trust us, Conan. It will be so exciting! It is the forest that's said to be home to the Tsuchinoko!" said Ayumi.

The four of them shared a smile before Conan, Ran, and Mouri headed back home. The last word Ayumi spoke rang through Conan's head like a bell. 'Wait, what?!' he thought.

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here..._**

 ** _"The Tsuchinoko is a mythical creature. It looks closely like a snake. More like a cobra. It is said to speak and is fond of telling lies. That's when they strike."_**

 ** _"It was the Tsuchinoko! That monster killed him!_**

 ** _"It can always look like it's real, but it's not. It's just an illusion._**

 ** _"Your mind games end here!"_**

 ** _CHAPTER 6: THE SNAKE'S FOREST_**


	6. The Snake's Forest

**_Guys, this is my longest chapter yet. Special Thanks to JaySherry, that new friend of mine made me determined to write more good chapters. The next one is going to be a blast! Give a review if you want to suggest something. I also want to ask if you want me to continue giving the four teasers at the end of a case like what I did last chapter. If you don't want those, I'll stop that. But if you like them, then give a review on why. I wish this story would be as good as I expected. I hope you like this one! (P.S. Hattori and Kudo next!)_**

* * *

Conan walked out of the agency and started to head for Hagase's home. He thought about what things are going to happen for the day. He brought with him a small backpack which contained two sets of clothes, knowing that it'll surely be not one night only for them. 'I wonder how Haibara's doing?'

He was the first to arrive at Hagase's house and he immediately began to look for Haibara. He found her at the lab where she surely must be working on the antidote again. "You're still working on the antidote?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied. "We both want to get back to our bodies, right?"

"Can you stop developing it for a while? We're going on a trip to have fun. Just take it off your mind for a few days, we've got all the time needed to make it."

"I suppose I could do that. I'm getting tired, anyway. So have you talked to Mouri-san?"

"Not yet. I'm not sure what to say to her. I mean, I've been making her wait for so long and then she realizes it was all for nothing. She may have feelings for me, but I consider her as a sister. I'm not even sure what she will say when she finds out you're not really a kid."

"If she wants you back, fine, I'll let you go. You're better off with her."

"No! I told you she's just like a sister to me."

Haibara giggled. "I was just kidding, tantei-san." Conan responded with his oi oi look. At the same time Agasa-hagase called from the door.

"Shinichi-kun! Ai-kun! Let's get going. The three are already in the car!" Conan walked out and Haibara followed behind. They were greeted by a three-way hug from their friends.

"This is going to be a fun trip!" squealed Ayumi as she hugged Conan tighter, much to his embarrassment and the other boys' jealousy. But Mitsuhiko took advantage of the situation by hugging Haibara tighter.

"Tsubaraya-kun," she said in an annoyed voice. "You can let go of me now..." Mitsuhiko felt ashamed and quickly did what she want. The three children go inside the back seat, and, of course, Conan and Haibara followed.

"Better get ready," said Hagase. "The trip will likely take more than an hour." All of the kids nodded as they went off.

20 minutes have passed and they weren't halfway there. "Hagase, where are we going again?" asked Ayumi.

"My colleague invited me to the Tsuchinoko Forest. Sadly, he's out of the country, but his whole family will be welcoming us. I think we're going to stay there for a whole day and go back home tomorrow."

"What is the Tsuchinoko Forest?"

"Isn't it obvious, Ayumi?" said Conan. "It's a forest that's rumored to be the home of one or more Tsuchinokos.

"What is a Tsuchinoko?" asked Genta.

"The Tsuchinoko is a mythical creature. It looks closely like a snake, more like a cobra. It is said to speak and is fond of telling lies. After fooling you, that's when they strike," said Hagase.

"Do you really think that such a creature lives in that forest?" asked Mitsuhiko.

"I'll believe it when I see it. But I really don't think it's real. You should all sleep for a moment, we're not getting closer to the forest." Just as Conan was closing his eyes, Haibara fell on his shoulder, already asleep. Conan smiled and rested his head on hers, falling asleep as well.

 **One Hour Later...**

Conan woke up to the sound of their car honking. The loud noise also made Haibara yawn and rub her eyes. "Hagase, why do you need to honk so loud?" Conan lazily asked.

"Conan-kun, we're here," he replied. "By the way, the kids beside you were looking jealous earlier when you and Ai-kun were sleeping."

Conan and Haibara turned to them. "We are not!" they said in unison. In truth, only Mitsuhiko and Ayumi were jealous. Ayumi to Conan and Mitsuhiko to Haibara. Genta didn't care, he was actually happy for them. Maybe the pair's relationship will spark a war between friends.

"Everyone out of the car, and get your things!" The Detective Boys did what Hagase said and they all stared at the house where they stopped. It was a two-story building that had white and brown accents. They turned around to see the huge forest covering the landscape.

"Where did we go to?" whispered Genta.

"We're not very from Tokyo," said a person coming out from the black gate. "In fact, you're just in the countryside. It's not scary out here."

"Occhan, who are you?" asked Mitsuhiko.

"Kids, this is none other than my colleague's nephew, Fubata Katsuhiko," said Hagase. He turned to look at the young bachelor, who's not only handsome, but a kindhearted fellow as well. "Katsuhiko-kun, you haven't changed a bit since a year ago! Where's your father?"

"Inside. Come on in. "I'll introduce you all to my family." He gestured for all of them to follow him. The door was made of glass even the walls around it. But the other walls are made of wood. The rooms, which can be seen outside had screens as the doors. Two cars are parked in front of the house, surely it belongs to the family.

Conan started to wonder why this home is not so concealed. "Oji-san, why do you have glass and screens as doors?"

"Well, you see, our family moved here two years ago. It's lonely here, because there are no houses nearby, and going to the nearest town takes even twenty minutes. My grandfather from my mother's side wanted to make the house look like we're not alone and that the Tsuchinokos are with us."

This sent waves of fear upon everyone. "Bu-but why would y-your grandfather say that? Those creatures are monsters, r-right?" asked Mitsuhiko.

Katsuhiko-san stopped in his tracks, so did the group. "I know. Even I don't know why he believes that those snakes are friendly. However, he had proof once that the Tsuchinokos were neutral. He once entered the forest for an hour and he said that if he didn't come back, all of us were right about those creatures. But if he did, then he's right. And he was. But I still don't believe it. 6 months ago, a woman was killed in the neighboring town. It was said that she set a small fire in the forest to lure out the Tsuchinokos. Good thing the fire was put out immediately, and the next day, she complained about the fire being stopped and that night, she was found dead in her house. It was said to be the curse of the Tsuchinokos. The awkward thing about her death was that her teeth made it look like she was snarling. Her cause of death was suffocation. There were strangle marks on her neck. Snakes sometimes strangle their prey, hence, the Tsuchinokos were blamed and the case was suspended. Conan was interested in the case and decided to hear more. "But my grandfather refused to believe it. He believes that someone murdered the woman and just placed the blame on the creature."

An elderly voice greeted them all. "Katsuhiko, kun, are you talking about the Tsuchinokos again?"

"Oh, grandpa. I was just telling them how you care so much about those creatures." He went to his grandfather's side.

"Everyone, this is my grandfather that I was talking about. His name is Harada Shirai."

The old man bowed and spoke. "Of course I care about them. I'm a friend to them, they never attacked me. One of my wishes is for other people to see them harmless, like me. Now, come on in. We've been expecting you all morning, and lunch has been prepared."

When they went inside, Katsuhiko-san spoke to the children. "Kids, your room is at near the end of this hall, to the right. Go leave your things there and join us at the dining room." All of them nodded and went to their bedroom.

"I hope they have eels for lunch!" exclaimed Genta. "I'm starving."

They all went to the dining room and excluding Hagase, Katsuhiko-san, and Shirai-ojiisan, five other people are circling the dining table. Katsuhiko-san spoke. "Kids, this is my okasan, Ayaka." He pointed to the woman sitting beside him. "And this is my oto-san, Takeshi." He pointed to the man opposite his seat. "That's my aunt over there in front of you. Kaori." Kaori-san smiled at them. "And these are my two cousins, Inui and Yuko." He pointed at the teenage boy and girl sitting together at the other end of the table. "Take a seat, eat lunch, then we can go to the forest."

After eating their lunch, Katsuhiko-san accompanied the children to the forest. Three of them were scared to them were scared to death, and the other two were just following. "Katsuhiko-niisan, do you really think there are Tsuchinokos here?" asked Mitsuhiko.

"I honestly don't know, kids," replied Katsuhiko-san. "Sometimes, I believe they exist and sometimes I don't."

"Why?" asked Ayumi.

"My grandfather sometimes prove they exist by providing evidence. But, in the end, I'll believe that there's no such thing as Tsuchinokos."

As the three children were asking questions, Conan privately talked to Haibara. "Babe, how long do you think we'll stay here?"

"Don't call me _babe_!" she smirked.

"Why? Is there something wrong?"

"You're still not my boyfriend."

"Are you kidding me? We already kissed at the ship! Isn't that enough?"

"You'll only be my boyfriend if you already talk to Mouri-san about your true feelings."

"Is that it? Nothing else?" She nodded.

"All right. You sure are demanding sometimes." She was then surprised and frozen by his next action, where he poked her forehead with two fingers. He smiled at her which made her blush a little then joined the other three in questions.

'Weird,' she thought. She touched the spot on her forehead where Conan poked her and smiled. 'What was that for? I don't know, but I want to figure out.' Afterwards, she joined them all.

"Were there any accidents in this forests?" said Genta.

"Surprisingly, no. But we never let our guard down."

"Wow! This forest is really—" Genta's sentence was cut off when the Detective Boys something long was slithering along the grass and they were frozen in place by fear. Even Conan and Haibara looked scared.

'What the hell was that?!' Conan thought.

Katsuhiko-san raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Is there something bothering you?"

"W-we j-just saw t-the Ts-tsuchinoko behind y-you," said Mitsuhiko.

"Where?" Katsuhiko-san turned around to find only grass. "There's nothing there. Surely, it was just your imagination."

"No, we did saw it! It was slithering through the grass."

"Looks like you all got scared. I guess we should go back, if we all stay here you might have a heart attack. Come on." Then they started to head back to the house. Along the way, Conan repeatedly told himself that what they saw wasn't true, and that it can't be true.

When they got back to the house, the children went back to their room. All of them were thinking about what they saw earlier. Genta noticed this and had a bright idea. "Guys, let's play 'Truth or Dare' using my water bottle! It will help us forget about the snake earlier."

Everyone nodded, including Conan. "All right! Let's form a circle and I'll just get my bottle." Once everyone was in place, the game began.

The first pair was Ayumi and Mitsuhiko. "Ayumi, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Why do you like Conan-kun so much?"

Ayumi held on to Conan's arm, much to his embarassment. "Because he's so smart, brave, and he always saves me from danger!" Conan gave an embarrassed laugh.

The next pair was Conan and Genta. "Conan, truth or dare?"

'I don't want to answer questions.' "Dare."

"I dare you to kiss Haibara-san's hand." Conan and Haibara went red with this, with Ayumi and Mitsuhiko hiding their jealousy. Nevertheless, Conan held her left hand, brought it to his lips and planted a soft kiss, earning him a small smile from his soon-to-be-girlfriend.

The next was Mitsuhiko and Conan. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to hug Ayumi for ten seconds." Mitsuhiko turned red in both embarrassment and frustration. He wanted the dare to be something about Haibara, like what Conan did earlier. But, he still had feelings for Ayumi, so with a blush on his cheeks, he hugs Ayumi tightly, to the point where he was carrying her and then let go.

Next came Genta and Haibara. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Why do you like eels so much?"

"It's just that they're so delicious and they are also the favorite food of my family. We consider it a grace if we get to eat eels often." Genta rubbed the back of his head.

The last pair reversed, and Genta asked, "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"I want you to wear Conan's glasses until we get back home!" Conan's eyes shot open, as well as Haibara's. "It's not a problem, right Conan?"

Conan grinned and closed his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, no problem at all." He took off his trademark glasses, stood up, walking to Haibara's place, and placed it on her. Haibara couldn't help but watch and Mitsuhiko was getting jealous by the moment. She adjusted her glasses for a bit as Conan went back.

The next were Conan and Ayumi. "Conan-kun, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"Let's see…" her eyes went to Haibara for a little while, then she looked at Conan. A very sad expression formed on her face for a few moments but was turned to a smile that almost reached her ears. "Conan-kun, I want you to kiss Ai-chan!"Everyone's eyes widened at Ayumi's dare. Conan and Genta couldn't believe what she said. Mitsuhiko was shocked with jealousy. Haibara was frozen in place. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get on with it."

Conan hesitated for a bit, but decided to do it. He stood up and walked to Haibara, who was still frozen in place, and then sat again. Their lips would meet again for the second time, and the pair could tell even if it was just a small peck, it will still mean a lot. Their faces became closer as they closed their eyes…

"Guys!" This made the pair stop and turn to look at their friend. "It's almost dinnertime! We should get ready…" Mitsuhiko said with a grin.

"Mitsuhiko's right," said Genta. "Let's go, everyone."

Conan and Haibara exchanged glances and he helped her stand up. They left the room and a certain someone was trying his best to hide his jealousy. 'Conan-kun, you're my friend. But Ai-chan is mine! You already took Ayumi from me and I won't let you do the same thing with Ai!'

As dinner began, nightfall took over the world. Takeshi-san was the first to break the silence. "What are you kids planning to do tonight?"

"We don't know," answered Genta. "Maybe we'll just sleep early.

"What about you, son?"

"I'll take a bath, go to the town to meet with my friends. I'll be gone for a while so you all sleep first. I'll bring the keys so lock everything."

"How about you, dear?"

"I'll just watch some TV with Inui and Yuko."

"Kaori-san, what about you?"

"I'll be in our room. I have a new book I want to get started on reading."

"Oto-san, you?"

"I'm going to sleep. An old man can't do much anymore, so I'll be in my room. How about you, son?"

"I'll join Ayaka, Inui, and Yuko. Agasa-san, what are you planning to do?"

"Oh, don't mind me, I'm going to stay with the kids," replied Hagase.

After their dinner, all of the people inside the house went on with their respective tasks, and afterwards, all lights, except the moonlight, were turned off, signaling everyone to sleep. It was 10:23 PM by the time Yuko-san closed the last light of the house, which was the bathroom's light bulb.

 **2:49 AM**

Kaori-san was sleeping peacefully with Inui and Yuko. They had good dreams, but all good things come to an end when the trio heard footsteps outside. Inui was the first to wake up, and he woke the other two up when he heard the footsteps were getting closer. They all sat up as a light shined at the screen door. All of them were scared to death when they saw the shadow of a snake moving to the right hallway. Yuko couldn't be stopped screaming, and her voice rang through the entire house. Conan woke up immediately and went to the place where the screaming occurred.

"What happened?!" asked Kaori, who was the first to arrive at the scene and turn on the lights.

Conan and the Detective Boys followed. "We just saw a snake's shadow pass by at the window," said Ayaka-san. Agasa-hagase soon showed up alongside Katsuhiko-san.

"Oka-san, why did you scream?!" asked Katsuhiko-san.

"It was Yuko who screamed," corrected Kaori-san. "They saw a snake outside the room."

"Could it be the snake we saw earlier?" said Genta.

Katsuhiko-san brought out a flashlight from the room and looked at the dark hallway. They didn't bother turning on the lights. Once he was done, Conan was just beginning to secretly investigate with his flashlight watch. He noticed something sticking on the glass. He backed away further and recognized that a black paper was taped to the glass and in the shape of a snake. 'What could this mean?' Conan thought. 'Come on, think. Oh, no!'

Conan went back to the room and asked Ayaka-san in a determined voice, "Which direction was the snake going?"

"It was going to the right, when you look here," replied Ayaka-san.

Conan instantly ran out the room and headed for the bedrooms near them. The Detective Boys followed him and when he opened the door and the lights of the nearest, which was Shirai-ojiisan's room, the group was greeted by the unmistakable body of Shirai Harada, lying wide-eyed on the floor. Ayumi gave a scream, which prompted everybody else to go there. One by one, everyone was shocked. "Katsuhiko-neechan!" called Conan. "Call the ambulance and police!" Katsuhiko-san gave a nod and brought out his phone.

Conan checked for a pulse, but didn't any. "I'm sorry, but… he's gone now."

"The Tsuchinokos killed him," said Ayaka-san. "The snake we saw earlier, was a Tsuchinoko. It went to this room and killed him."

Conan checked for surrounding clues, but didn't find anything near the body. He only noticed some strangle marks are visible on Shirai-ojiisan's neck. 'These marks, it's impossible that a rope caused these. Looks like scales. Damn the culprit is good.'

Katsuhiko-san returned from calling. "The police and ambulance are on the way."

"Do you seriously think a Tsuchinoko killed father?" popped up Takeshi. "There's no such thing as those creatures. This is either suicide or murder."

Conan continued searching for clues. 'Takeshi-san's right. How could the culprit do it? Might as well wait for the police to arrive.'

Five minutes has passed, and the police and ambulance made it to the house. "The deceased is Harada Shirai, 68 years old. The cause of death is undoubtedly a blocked airway. And the estimated time of death was between 11:30 to 2:30 AM," a forensic scientist explained to Inspector Sango Yokomizo.

"What time did you discover the body?" asked Yokomizo-keiji to everyone.

"It was 2:57, I believe," said Kaori-san.

"From the looks of it, I'd say this is a suicide."

'Oh, no! I better stop him before the culprit gets away!' "Keiji-san," said Conan.

"Oh, Conan-kun, you're here."

"If this was a suicide, wouldn't ojii-san's body be in an awkward shape? But we found his body in a straight shape. When you strangle yourself you tend to move around, also there was no rope or weapon near the body."

"Well, you're right. I guess this case is far from over. This is a murder, and one of you six is the culprit!" He pointed to Katsuhiko-san, Takeshi-san, Kaori-san, Ayaka-san, Inui-san, and Yuko-san.

"Keibu," Mitsuhiko interrupted. "I don't think they could be the culprit," pointing to Ayaka-san, Inui-san, and Yuko-san. "They were in their room when one of them screamed and said they saw a snake."

"How did they see a snake?"

The Detective Boys led him to Ayaka-san's room, where the snake was seen. Conan directed him to the glass next to the door where he found the shape of a snake. Yokomizo-keiji now believed this case is a murder, and someone is playing with their minds, so he went back to the victim's room to ask the alibis of the suspects, Katsuhiko-san, Takeshi-san, and Kaori-san. He let the remaining three go because of Mitsuhiko's story. Conan left himself behind to investigate the black paper.

"Need some help?" a voice asked.

Conan was startled but regained composure to see Haibara. "Yeah, sure, I was having a difficult time." He continued investigating.

"You having a difficult time? Doesn't sound like you at all."

"The weapon is nowhere to be found. And this paper is bugging me. How is this suppose to move? It can't be a stick, since this was taped."

"It may look like it's real, but it's not. It's just an illusion."

Haibara's last words ran through Conan's mind. 'Illusion… Illusion… Illusion… that's it! So that's the trick. Now all we need to find is the weapon.'

"Thanks, Haibara." Then the pair set off to find the missing weapon.

"What did you find out?"

"The trick on how a snake was seen."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to find the weapon." They went to the opposite hallway and they looked at the open rooms, one by one.

"By the way, make it quick. These glasses of yours make me feel like I'm not myself."

Conan stopped for a while. "Why? I like it better when you wear glasses. You're cuter."

Haibara blushed a little. "Don't worry, I'm almost there to finding the culprit." Conan then brought up two of his fingers and poked her forehead.

'He did it again. Why? Is he making fun of me? I'll find out why. I'll let it slip for now.'

They continued walking until they came across a room near the end of the hallway. They saw the clothes drawer of the room. 'Clothes… clothes… clothes… So, that's how it's done.' He then went inside and Haibara followed. He searched around the closet and brought out his magnifying glass. 'What am I doing? Of course it's not here. But I now know who did it.'

The pair went back to Shirai-ojiisan's room, only to see Takeshi-san about to walk out. "This is suicide, I tell you. I'll be back, I'm just going to –"

"Your mind games end here!"

Takeshi-san turned around. "You just want to get rid of the murder weapon because you killed Shirai-san, didn't you, Takeshi-san?" explained Agasa-hagase. Of course Conan was behind him and the Detective Boys watched on.

"What are you talking about? I was just going to the bathroom."

"He's right, Agasa-san," said Yokomizo-keiji. "How could he get rid of it, if he went out, the police would notice."

"That's absolutely right. However, he was going to the bathroom to change his clothes. That way, he can hide the weapon when he gets out. Because the weapon is his snake skin belt!"

Yokomizo-keiji and the other family members stared at him for a moment. "Agasa-san, how could his belt be used as a weapon? It would have left marks."

"It did left marks. Look at the victim's neck. It may be faint, but the marks there resemble scales. And the fact that snake skin is used in making belts, bags, and other accessories proves that a snake could have killed him."

Takeshi-san glared at Agasa-hagase and the professor did the same. "After he committed the crime, at a time near 2 AM, he set up the fake snake at the glass. He took advantage of the fact that Katsuhiko-kun was out of the house. You can park your car inside by going through the gate and turn slightly right. By doing so, it would create the illusion of a snake going to the right hallway."

"Then the snake we saw earlier was—" said Ayumi.

"Yes. It was a real snake that lived in the forest."

"So what if my belt was the weapon?!" yelled Takeshi-san. "Someone could have stolen this, used it to kill father, and tried to frame me!"

Conan smiled. Everything is going well according to his plan. "If that's true, can you tell us who was the one who screamed when that person saw a snake?"

"What nonsense, of course it was Yuko-chan!" Takeshi-san's anger was still taking over.

"How did you know it was Yuko-chan?"

"Simple! Because Ayaka told me when I went back to father's –" His sentence stopped. He had just admitted that he was the culprit and his eyes widened. Everyone gasped.

"You didn't know who screamed because you were committing the crime. After you strangled your father, you went to the next room quickly. You couldn't go back to your room because if we saw you getting away, we would be suspicious. So your plan is to take a bath, change clothes, and dispose of the weapon the next day."

Takeshi-san dropped to his knees and tears started to flow out of his eyes. "I didn't want to kill him. I never wanted to. When I went to his room, I talked about a company that would clear the forest and place a shopping mall instead. I told him they would pay us in exchange for our forest. But he insulted me, saying if you desecrate our family's forest, then move away here. He also told me if I do it, he'll never stop ruining my life. I became so angry, then I killed him. I thought of this plan and I thought it would work, but I lost."

The police arrested Takeshi-san as morning was approaching and then Yokomizo-keiji spoke with Agasa-hagase. "Another great deduction, Agasa-san! I look forward to our next case together!" Hagase gave an embarrassed grin. Afterwards, the Detective Boys said goodbye to the family as they went inside their car.

Haibara took off her glasses and handed it to Conan. "This is yours, I believe?"

"Thanks." Conan retrieved it and wore it on his head. "Oh, and do you have an antidote ready at the lab?"

"I have one, for what?"

"I'm gonna tell Ran about us." Haibara gave a nod as Hagase went inside the car and they drove back home.

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here..._**

 ** _"It's okay, Shinichi..._**

 ** _"Kudo, what do you think?"_**

 ** _"Hattori, do you know what it's like to kill someone?"_**

 ** _"It's longer than I expected..."_**

 ** _CHAPTER 7: EAST AND WEST COMBINE, PART 1_**


	7. East and West Combine, Part 1

**_Hey, guys! Thanks for giving this a review and thanks for following or making this a fave story. Keep 'em coming! I'm getting more determined to make more good cases and this is the first part of a big case. If you want to suggest a case, give a review. Are the 4 teasers good? Tell me in a review! Enjoy Heiji and Shinichi's teamwork here!_**

* * *

A boy with glasses entered Agasa-hagase's home quite early, precisely 7:08 in the morning. He opened the gate and door quietly because he knew that he'll disturb Hagase's sleep. He would just get the antidote and leave. Upon entering, though, a person who was supposed to meet him wasn't there. He looked through the living room but he couldn't find her. Then, all of a sudden the bathroom door behind him opened.

Standing at the door was Ai Haibara, in a bathrobe. She looked at him in shock while Conan was red as blood upon his sight. Her robe wasn't tied, so her cleavage and crotch were slightly revealed to him. She looked down, her eyes widened and became red as well. She covered herself and threw a pillow at his face. He kept the pillow on him, so he wouldn't be called a pervert.

"Kudo-kun, you pervert!" she yelled. Conan became angry at himself for still being called a pervert. She started to walk to her room. "Wait here! I'll put on some clothes then we'll talk!"

As Haibara did so, Conan was trying to erase every bit of memory he had over the sight earlier. 'Come on, me! Forget about earlier! It's not the right time to be thinking about that! I really hope I get over this, but if I don't, what can I do? After all, that's not her real body. Still, I must take it off my mind!'

As soon as Haibara finished putting on some clothes, the two of them sat on the couch and Conan started to apologize.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry, Haibara! I didn't know it was you!"

"To be honest, it's my fault as well. I didn't tie my robe when I came out because I thought that nobody else was here. Still, you could've knocked!"

"I'm sorry! I just didn't want to wake Hagase up!"

"Oh, well, it can't be helped. After all, soon, we'll both be naked at the bed." Conan blushed about the thought. "Anyway, here's what you came for." She handed him a test tube filled with the antidote. "I don't know how long it will last, but I'm pretty sure it'll be longer than the previous times. Is there something else you want to talk about?"

"One more thing. Do you know about Mitsuhiko's crush on you?" She nodded. "Be careful around him, I'm getting the feeling that sooner or later, he's going to do crazy stuff to win you back."

"Don't worry. I'll stop him when he goes out of the line."

"Then, goodbye and see you later."

"Goodbye." Conan then approached her and poked her forehead. Haibara only watched as he did so and left. 'I'm getting the hang of this,' she thought. 'But why does he do it? Next time, I'll ask him.' She crossed her arms and smiled as he walked out the house.

Conan went to his real house and locked the door. He took the antidote and drank it all down. He put the tube at the table in the living room and waited for a few minutes. Then he clutched his chest as the transformation began. He grinned to prevent himself from screaming and then he was back. The Great Detective of the East has returned yet again. He went to his room to put on new clothes and he started to head for the agency. 'Ran, I'm really sorry. I made you wait for nothing. But it's better to hurt you with the truth rather than make you better with a lie. Shiho Miyano is the woman I love, but I still love you, as a sister. You're still important to me and I won't let you be in danger.'

Shinichi walked up the stairs to their door. He took a deep breath and opened it. He was greeted by the surprised faces of Mouri, Ran, Heiji, and Kazuha.

"Shinichi…" Ran whispered.

"Kudo?" asked Heiji.

"What's up?" said Shinichi as he closed the door behind him.

"We were just talking about where Conan-kun has gone," said Kazuha. "He's gone since breakfast."

"Oh, that four-eyed little kid? I passed him by on the way here. He was going to stay at Hagase's for maybe two days. So, Hattori, what are you really doing here? Another case?"

"You got me. There is a case I wanted to discuss after we finish talking about that boy. Since we now know where he is, I'll say it."

"What kind of case?" asked Mouri. Shinichi took a seat in the couch. He never noticed that Ran kept staring at him since he entered.

"An murder that hasn't been solved for a year."

"Where?"

"At a mansion on Mt. Iizuna that's owned by a wealthy guy."

"What can you tell us about the murder?" asked Shinichi.

"The man who was killed was the owner himself. He was found dead in his bedroom last year and the reason was poisoning. No further clues were found so the case was suspended. However, the only weird thing was a paper taped to his back and has the word 'Justice' written on it."

Shinichi noticed two backpacks that he doesn't remember seeing at Ran or Mouri's room. "Say, why do you have such big backpacks? You're planning on going there?"

"Actually I was invited. The son of the wealthy guy is planning a family reunion and he wants me there to investigate and find out if the killer will be present. And I'm planning and taking you all along, especially ochan and you, Kudo."

"When do we leave?"

"After when you all get ready."

Mouri started to pack a few clothes and Ran did the same with Kazuha helping her. Shinichi used the spare time to go back home and pack a few clothes and talk with Heiji. "Hattori, are you sure that's the only clue you have about that murder?" asked Shinichi.

"I'm sorry, but that's it. Who knows, when a murder happens at the mansion tonight or tomorrow, a clue will be left behind. I sure hope so."

"Yeah. What time did you get there at the agency, by the way?"

"A few minutes before 8."

"I hope this antidote will last longer than usual, I'm getting really nervous because I could go back as Conan anytime. And I still have to tell Ran about what I really feel for her."

"Kudo, did you hurt her?"

"Who?"

"That little girl you love."

"What?! No! I meant I'm going to tell Ran that she's only like a sister to me."

"Man, I thought you dumped another girl again." Hearing this made Shinichi punch his best friend in the arm while smirking.

"Any news about the Dragon Syndicate?"

"Not yet. They must be scared when they heard the news that the Black Organization has been exposed to the police. I'm sure they're being very careful on not to expose themselves as well."

"We need to take them out first before the Black Organization. They could hold some important information about the Boss, Gin, Vodka, Tequila, and Vermouth."

After five minutes, the duo came out and went back to the agency. They weren't very much surprised when Mouri still hasn't finished packing some clothes.

'I need fancy clothes! Surely beautiful women will be there!' He thought with a smile.

"What's taking oto-san so long?" asked Ran.

"I'm sure that he's having a hard time on choosing clothes to wear since he knows that many beautiful women will be there."

A few moments later, Mouri came out, ready to go. Before they leave, the so-called "Great" Detective received a not-so-hard smack on the head from his daughter. Mouri screamed in agony. "Don't even think about going off with some women, oto-san…"

"H-h-hai…" Mouri gripped his head in pain as they left the agency. Shinichi, Heiji, and Kazuha sneaked a few laughs to themselves.

The whole journey took them half a day to complete, with frequent stops so that Mouri can catch his breath. When they got off their last cab, the mountain where the mansion was located was beautiful as the sun was setting. They looked around for the place. The house was near the base of the mountain and they saw 2 cars parked in front of the door. A strange thing that caught Heiji and Shinichi's eyes was that a cliff can be seen.

"Hey, Kudo, it's kinda strange for a house to be put up near a cliff," whispered Heiji.

"Yeah, I'm having the feeling that something's going to happen tonight. You better keep your eyes open, Hattori."

"You, too." Mouri then knocked on the door and they waited for a few moments until a beautiful black-haired maid opened the door.

"Who are you?" asked the girl.

"Uhhh… ummmm…" the "Great Detective" couldn't bring himself to speak due to the woman herself.

Suddenly, Heiji walked next to Mouri. "I'm Hattori Heiji, the detective hired by the owner of this house."

"Oh, yes, Miyazaki-sama was expecting you. But who's this with you?"

"I've brought along some help. I'm here with Mouri Kogorou and Kudo Shinichi."

"Kogoro?" She turned to Mouri. "You're the famous one?"

"Uh… yeah…" He gave an embarrassed smile.

"Miyazaki-sama would be so delighted to see that you all. Come on in." They went in and the place was really big. The exterior sure described the interior. They walked up the stairs to the second floor. She led them to a big room and opened the lights. "This is where you'll sleep for the night. The reunion is tomorrow." Everyone's jaw almost dropped at the sight of just one room. Three king-sized beds, with two large drawers and four closets, along with an air conditioner and two electric fans. They couldn't believe that this was the place where they would be sleeping for the night. The maid noticed they were staring for too long and was getting worried. "Is there something wrong about this room? If you want –"

"No, no!" interrupted Mouri. He didn't want to lose the chance to sleep in such a comfortable room. "Please, miss. This room is fine."

The maid giggled. "Please call me Aiko. Drop your bags here and then we'll go to Miyazaki-sama."

Before setting down his clothes, Mouri jumped into the bed first, feeling the soft mattress. Afterwards, he set his bag near the closet and joined the others. They walked a little further down the hallway of the second floor and Aiko-san pointed at a door. "Miyazaki-sama is in this library. He loves to read when he's bored. I'll be going now." With that, Aiko-san left.

Heiji slowly opened the door and they saw dozens of shelves filled with books. They saw a person, who looked like he/she was reading, sitting at a chair in front of the fireplace. "Are you the owner, Miyazaki?" asked Heiji.

The person stood up from his seat and faced the all. He had his hair combed to the side of his face, bore cobalt eyes and a small goatee. "Miyazaki Kentaro," the man replied. "I see you've brought some friends, Hattori-kun."

"I figured to bring along two more detectives to help out. You might know them. Mouri Kogoro and Kudo Shinichi."

"Mouri? Oh, that famous one. And Kudo Shinichi, I've heard of you before, they say you disappeared and I thought you died."

"I was just busy with a major case in another country," said Shinichi.

"Fine, then. Three detectives could do better than one. As you all know, I'm hosting a family reunion tomorrow. I need you to keep an eye on the guests. If they do anything suspicious, inform me immediately. I need to find who killed my father and bring him to justice."

"How do you know the culprit's a part of your family?" asked Mouri.

"Because last year, my father was celebrating his my birthday. All guests that attended were family. If we catch the culprit, we can find out why they have a grudge against my father. And I'll pay you all afterwards. Let's go to the dining area. I'm guessing that you're all hungry from the trip you took." He then led them to the dining room where they had a truly amazing dinner.

Soon after, they went back to their bedroom.

Mouri had a bed to himself, Ran and Kazuha shared the second, and Heiji and Shinichi in the third. "Kudo, are you asleep?" asked Heiji.

"Not yet," replied Shinichi.

"Want a friendly battle tomorrow?"

"What do you mean?"

"Obviously, a murder is going to happen tomorrow, I just want to race you."

"Hattori, I told you that –"

"Yes, I know. There's no competition in being a detective. But, it's been a while. I just want a friendly battle on who's faster at finding the culprit. After that, we're back to normal."

"Alright, just this once."

Heiji was fast asleep. Shinichi took advantage by getting up slowly and walked to Ran and Kazuha's bed. He woke Ran up and he gestured for her to come with him. They went out to the hallway and Shinichi was the first to speak. "Ran, I need to talk to you."

"About what?" she asked.

"Do you like me?"

She blushed. "Y-yes…"

"Do you love me?"

"Y-yes."

"I'm sorry about this but, I can't reciprocate your feelings. I only love you as a sister and nothing more." Tears started to flow from her eyes. "I'm… sorry for making you wait for nothing… I already love someone else. I understand if you won't forgive me." He looked away.

"It's okay, Shinichi…"

He turned his gaze to her again with eyes that tell disbelief. Tears continued to flow from her face. "At least you were honest, I would've used my karate on you if you made me wait for a long time again. It's nice to see you finally happy… I guess… I'm all… alone… I'll do anything to win you back!" She covered her face with her hands and let out her sadness. But she was shocked by his next move.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. He pushed her head against his chest, allowing her to cry on him. "Don't ever say that, Ran. I still care for you. Even though I'm not the one for you, I'll still be there to protect you from harm. You are one of the most important people in my life."

She stopped crying and he touched both sides of her face and stared into her eyes. "Now that you're free from me, when we get home, go on and have fun. Find another man for you. For once, stop thinking about me. You'll just hurt yourself. And I don't like you getting hurt."

She departed from his chest and wiped her face from tears as she smiled. "I forgive you, Shinichi. But you'll have to introduce me to your girl; as your 'sister', I'll need to check if she's the right girl for you." They share a quick laugh and she kisses his forehead.

They went back to their beds and Shinichi was in a good mood. 'Finally… I thought Ran would create an affair with me. She is truly kind, caring, and understanding. I'm so glad to have met her.'

 **The Next Day...**

"Kudo, how many suspicious people are outside?" asked Heiji through a small phone connected to his ear.

"6 cars are now here, so far no suspicious people are present," replied Shinichi using the same device. "How about there at the hall?"

"Everyone's having fun here, and I can't see everyone, but surely nothing suspicious here. What 'bout you, ochan?"

"Osaka brat, the second floor is not that crowded, I think I can see everyone's actions. Let's keep this up, and we'll soon find out who's behind the murder of Kentaro-san's father."

In the kitchen, Ran and Kazuha were helping out the two chefs and Aiko-san. "Man, I hope Aiko-san hurries up with the extra groceries," complained Kazuha.

"Why did this house have to be so far from the nearest town?" said Ran.

"Oji-san, 8 cars are now occupying the space out here. More and more people are attending this reunion."

"Tell me about it. That Osaka Brat is sure having a hard time inspecting the people here. Don't take your eyes off the guests. The culprit might know about this and trick us."

Their patrolling continued until the sun went down. Shinichi noted that four cars were left, surely the last remaining guests would stay for the night. He made sure for the last time that there were eight cars outside and headed inside. Mouri saw Aiko-san preparing a bedroom for guests. And Heiji saw that 8 guests are left in the living room, and there is a good chance that the culprit from last year is one of them.

Mouri, Shinichi, Ran, and Kazuha joined Heiji at the living room, where Miyazaki-san is enjoying the company of the eight remaining guests. "Who are those?" asked a woman.

"These three are detectives that I hired to investigate my father's murder. And the two girls with them are the high-schoolers' girlfriends. The four mentioned had a sweat drop.

'Oi, oi, she's not my girlfriend', Shinichi thought.

'I haven't even confessed to Kazuha!' whined Heiji in his thoughts.

Mouri cleared his throat. "Mouri Kogoro, at your service. Have you all heard of me?"

"No," said a man who was smoking a cigarette. "Never heard of you." Mouri's sweat dropped.

"Who are these other two detectives?" asked a woman who was about in her 30s.

"Oh, I'm Kudo Shinichi."

"Hattori Heiji, from Osaka."

"You're the two high-school detectives! I've heard about you two. My brother didn't make a mistake about choosing you two. Me and my husband here always hear about your cases." She pointed to the man who was smoking.

Mouri became jealous of their fame. 'Hmph… How could they be more popular than me?!'

"Anyway, I'm Tokugawa Mayumi and this is my husband, Kenzo. He has a habit for smoking." Kenzo-san simply gave a bow to them.

Another couple who were holding hands were the next to introduce themselves. "Miyazaki Jugo and my girlfriend, Matsui Yuriko. I'm Kentaro's brother." Shinichi observed the young man up and down, and he had a feeling that he could be the culprit to the murder. But, it was just a feeling.

"Miyazaki Oscar," said a man who was sitting on the couch and was drinking red wine. Shinichi and Heiji noticed that the man didn't have a Japanese name, but rather, an American name. 'Could he have gone out of the country and changed his name when he killed Kentaro-san's dad?' Heiji and Shinichi thought at the same time.

"Miyazaki Kenzashi." The man who spoke was wearing glasses.

"Fumiko Midori. Unfortunately, my husband is at the hospital." She is a young girl that looked like she is innocent and couldn't commit such a crime because of her appearance and attitude. But Shinichi and his rival kept their eyes open.

"Miyazaki Tsutomu," said the man who bore reading glasses and his hair was slightly puffy. (Do you know who this real-life person is? Don't be scared!)

"Sakamoto Eriko, I'm one of the cousins of Kentaro-kun," said the woman that had bangs, and a scar on her forehead.

"Now that you have met my family, let's go have a big dinner. I'll inform my chefs to prepare food."

Kentaro-san led the way and everyone followed. When they reached the dining area, the rich owner spoke with a chef. He yurned around and looked at everyone. "Everyone, could you wait for five minutes? The chefs are just starting to cook."

Everyone gave a nod. "I'm going to the bathroom," said Tsutomu-san.

"I'm going to check on my car," said Kenzashi-san.

"I'm going to unpack my stuff," announced Midori-san.

"Then I'm unpacking mine as well," said Oscar-san.

In less than five minutes, Midori-san went back to the dining table with Oscar-san. Aiko-san noticed that drinks weren't on the table yet. "Miyazaki-sama, what drinks would you like me to bring?" she asked.

"Just water and some juice." She gave a nod and went out the room.

Tsutomu-san returned after ten minutes and their food was already on the table. "What took you so long?"

"I took a bath, it's quite refreshing," replied Tsutomu-san. He sat down and started to eat alongside everybody else. "Say, where's Kenzashi-san? Didn't he come back?"

"Yeah, you're right," said Oscar-san. "I'll go find him."

"Don't interrupt your dinner!" said Aiko-san. "I should be the one who'll look for him. Just join me in searching after –"

Everybody suddenly looked at the window. A car was driving in a straight line. "That car's headed for the cliff!" said Mouri.

"WHAT?!" screamed Heiji and Shinichi in unison. They immediately sprung into action and went outside through the back door. They chased the car and saw the driver. It was Kenzashi-san.

"Kenzashi-san! Kenzashi-san!" called Shinichi. He knocked on the closed window to try and wake him up, to no avail. The car is getting closer and closer to falling.

Seeing that there's no way to stop the car, the two rivals noted every detail about the scene. They noticed that a piece of paper was taped to Kenzashi-san's back. It had the word "Justice" written on it. Heiji noticed that Kenzashi-san's head was on top of the steering wheel and his hands were on each side of his body. Shinichi noticed that his feet are perfectly aligned at the bottom of the seat and his glasses were placed at the other seat. Then they moved away from the car as it plunged down the cliff into the sea, and it exploded. The pair looked down as the other people went outside. "Kudo, I found something in the tracks," said Heiji. He handed his rival a handkerchief and Shinichi looked at what's inside it.

"A wedding ring?" Heiji nodded.

"It could belong to either Kenzashi-san or the culprit. Right now, this is our only lead."

"Hey, you two!" screamed Mouri. "What happened out here?"

"We're sorry to say this, but Kenzashi-san is dead," said Shinichi. Everyone was shocked.

"Was it suicide?"

"No, Kogoro-ojisan. No matter how much we call to him earlier, he wouldn't wake up. What's more, his head was on top of the steering wheel. His hands and feet are perfectly relaxing. It's a joke to consider this case a suicide."

"Which means this is murder," said Heiji. "And the murderer is one of you eight! Eriko-san! Kentaro-san! Tsutomu-san! Mayumi-san! Oscar-san! Kenzo-san! Jugo-san! Yuriko-san!"

"Everyone back inside!" said Mouri. "We're going to do some questioning!"

Heiji and Shinichi stayed outside for a while. "Kudo, what do you think?"

"Kentaro-san has the motive, maybe he knew that Kenzashi-san is the one who killed his father, so he did it. The others, I don't know about their motive. But what's troubling me right now, is how the culprit did it."

"Yeah, you're right. Well, our race starts now. Good luck finding clues." Shinichi nodded and they went their separate ways.

Fifteen minutes have passed yet the two were having a hard time. The both of them didn't find anything. They first searched separately at the tracks Kenzashi-san's car left behind. Then they went inside with Shinichi searching the living room and Heiji investigating the dining room. They crossed each other's paths at the second floor. "Kudo, do you have any leads?" Heiji asked in a tired voice.

"No, man this culprit is good," Shinichi answered in the same voice.

"Well, I've talked to ochan. He said that the police won't make it until daylight."

"Jeez, what time is it now?"

"12:36 in the morning."

"Anything about the suspects?"

"Tsutomu-san took a bath, Midori-san and Oscar-san unpacked their clothes. They were the only ones who weren't present at the dining room when the murder was committed. That makes them the leading suspects."

"With no further leads, this case would take hours to solve."

Heiji adjusted his cap to the front. "If that's how the culprit wants it, he'll get it." Shinichi looked over Heiji's left shoulder and saw something small in front of a room. He approached it and Heiji got curious. "Kudo, did you find something?"

Shinichi pulled out another handkerchief and picked up the object. It was a small piece of a rope and Shinichi smiled. "What did you find?"

"Hey, Hattori, do you know what it's like to kill someone?" He showed him the piece of rope and they both smiled and looked at the room where Shinichi found it.

"Looks like this person's trying to escape, well not with us around!" Heiji kicked open the door and turned on the lights. The man inside was shocked as he was trying to make a rope knot for a noose.

"I knew it," said Shinichi. "You were the last one to come to the dining table, which means you can commit the crime. Am I right? Tsutomu-san?"

"W-what are you talking about?" he asked. "I was gone because I took a bath, n-nothing more."

"Ten minutes would be a good time to prepare the crime," said Heiji. "You likely knocked out or killed Kenzashi-san first then put him inside the car. Then you put something heavy on the gas, but you were being careful not to put too much of the weight on it, because it would go so fast and we would notice it before you got there." Tsutomu-san raised an eyebrow.

Shinichi continued. "You certainly placed the car far from the cliff first then you let the heavy object do its thing. The car would go slow, giving you time to get back, change your clothes and join us in the dining room. As proof of this, we have a ring." Shinichi showed the ring to him. "You likely dropped this after leaving Kenzashi-san. You're trying to commit suicide now to prevent being arrested."

Tsutomu-san observed the ring. "That's not mine."

Shinichi and Heiji's jaw dropped. "What?" they asked in unison.

"That's not mine, I'm not even married yet! I mean I do have a girlfriend but we're not engaged."

"Then why are you trying to kill yourself now?" asked Heiji.

"I just don't want to be killed! I hate seeing dead bodies! They give me nightmares!"

"Are you telling the –" a sound of an explosion stopped their conversation.

"What the hell was that?" demanded Tsutomu-san.

"Looks like it came from outside, come on!" said Shinichi. Shinichi led the way and the other two followed. Mouri and the others were already there and the trio were shocked by the fire. "Kogoro-ojisan, what happened?"

"Kenzo-san went outside the house after being questioned," replied Mouri. "I'm sure he went inside this car and then the car exploded!" Mayumi-san knelt on the ground and cried over her husband. "Someone! Get a fire extinguisher and put out this flame before it gets bigger!"

"Hai!" said Aiko-san. She ran back to the house.

Shinichi turned around and walked away. Heiji followed him. "What's wrong? Is this case bothering you?"

"No, no, it's not about that. It's just that this antidote… it's longer than I expected."

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here.._**.

 ** _"Kudo, I guess we were fooled."_**

 ** _"You won't get away this time!"_**

 ** _"You're... m-my... s-sister?"_**

 ** _"Ran has let me go... it's fine now."_**

 ** _CHAPTER 8: EAST AND WEST COMBINE, PART 2_**


	8. East and West Combine, Part 2

**_Wow, another chapter in less than two days! It's a new record for me! Thanks for making this summer memorable, not only did I get to play with my PS4, I got the chance to write an amazing story. Don't worry, my dear readers, even if school's on June 5, I'll still update this. Give more reviews if you can! So without further ado, I give you the resolution to the last chapter's case!_**

* * *

"Yeah, I noticed that too, it's been more than two days already," said Heiji.

Aiko-san came back with two fire extinguishers. Mouri and Kentaro-san took one each and began to put out the roaring flames. It took six whole minutes for them to finally stop it. They both panted in exhaustion then Heiji and Shinichi started to investigate Kenzo-san's car which was the start of the fire.

"Ochan, when Kenzo-san walked out of the house after being questioned," said Heiji. "Was there anything weird about him?"

"I'm not sure if he was acting weird…" replied Mouri.

Ran decided to speak. "After oto-san asked him questions, he said he's gonna go out to get some fresh air while we go to our rooms."

Heiji whispered, "Kudo, let's take that race on another case."

"Yeah, I'm getting tired of this," answered Shinichi. "Kogoro-ojisan! Go back inside with the others! We'll stay here."

Mouri gave an annoyed look. 'Those two brats… why don't they let me figure this out?' "Everyone! Back inside! The culprit is starting to get on my nerves."

Once everyone was back at the house, the duo turned their attention to the car. "How could the culprit do it?" said Shinichi.

"Could there be a flammable gas inside?"

"No. Even if there's a fire, some of its source wouldn't be burned. I'm sure the cause happened outside this car."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll check around the car, you check inside it. Shinichi nodded.

They continued looking around and inside the car for a few minutes until something caught Heiji's eyes. He picked it up with a handkerchief. "Kudo! I found something!"

Shinichi looked out the window of the passenger's seat. "What did you find?"

"This lighter." Shinichi observed the object thoroughly. "I think this belongs to Kenzo-san, since you said that the cause was outside the car. I'm guessing he threw it out. But for what reason?" The pair held their chins and thought about it deeply.

"Hey, Hattori. He must've thrown it out to show us something!"

"What makes you think so?"

"Think about it. Since the car was burning, he could barely even move. Unless he wants us to notice something, he wouldn't force himself to throw that out."

"Okay. What do you think is he trying to make us notice?"

Shinichi stepped out of the car. "Where did you find the lighter?"

"Right here." Shinichi went to where Heiji is standing and knelt on one knee to investigate. He used his flashlight watch to scan the dark area.

"Hattori, look!" Heiji knelt down as well. "As I thought, there are burn marks here." He stood up and noticed that the burn marks got on his pants. "And they're still fresh." He pointed his flashlight to where the trail would lead.

"Looks like the trail ends to that door." Heiji pointed to the door in front of them. They opened it and it led them to the kitchen. "The kitchen… I don't think the chefs are involved in this… they've gone home three hours ago. And since no one uses the kitchen other than them and Aiko-san, anybody could do it." They then walked together through a hallway to find the others.

"Kudo, I'm getting the feeling that these serial murders aren't over yet."

"Yeah, me too. We better be attentive and careful later, otherwise we would miss the chance to expose the criminal. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Kudo, I guess we were fooled."

"Yeah, and I'm not letting it happen again."

"Who do you think is the one responsible?"

"We know how the murders were done, but we don't know who did it. We've talked to Tsutomu-san earlier, and it looked like he was telling the truth."

"You go believe him. I'm still not falling for that guy's tricks. This culprit… he's not like anyone we've faced before… he's good at not leaving any evidence. The only clue we have is this ring."

The last word rang through Shinichi's head. He suddenly stopped walking. "Kudo, anything wrong?"

"Do you still have the ring?" Shinichi demanded.

"Yeah, here in my pocket." Heiji used a handkerchief and pulled it out. "Here." Shinichi took it.

Shinichi took out the magnifying glass from his pocket and looked at the ring through it. "Kudo, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see if there are fingerprints on this ring."

"With a magnifying glass? You must be joking."

"Hagase made this for me so I could check if there are fingerprints on an item."

Heiji's eyes narrowed then closed. "Why, Kudo…" he said with a smirk.

Shinichi abruptly stopped in his investigation and looked at his rival. "Why what?" he said with an eyebrow raised.

Heiji's face then exploded. "WHY… WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE COOL GADGETS THAT HELP YOU IN SOLVING CASES?!" Shinichi was frozen in his place with shock and fear. "I HAVE TO SOLVE CASES WITH HARD WORK AND YOU HAVE STUFF THAT MAKE YOUR WORK EASY!" Shinichi still watched him with widened eyes. "Oh, well. If we have your gadgets, this case won't take any longer," he said with a smile.

Shinichi sweat-dropped. 'This guy… sometimes I can't understand him.' Shinichi continued on observing the ring. A few moments later, he turned to Heiji. "Yes! This has fingerprints, we just don't know whose."

"Well, let's go back with ochan and the others, maybe that drunk might have figured out something."

"Wait. Let's go search the rooms first. Maybe there are more clues there." Heiji nodded.

They continued walking past the dining room and into the second floor to the bedrooms. They checked every room, to no avail, except for two more. They checked the first one and saw a family picture in the closet. But the picture included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. But they saw someone beside the person in the center. "Hey, Hattori, I think I now know whose fingerprints are in that ring."

"Yeah. Come on, let's get back to the others. I'll bring that." Heiji tucked the picture inside his jacket. Afterwards, they headed down the living room.

"Taku, where the hell are they?"

"H-Heiji, K-Kudo-kun."

The duo turned around. "Kazuha?" Heiji asked. The girl held onto her knees and panted. "Why do you look tired? And where is everybody?"

"I was looking for you two. We're at the dining room." Heiji and Shinichi's faces dropped.

"What?" they both asked. "Why didn't you call for us earlier?"

"Well, I was going to… but… there was somebody who interrupted what I was going to say…" her eyes then rolled.

 **A Few Minutes Earlier...**

 _"Never be afraid..._ _I, the Great Detective Mouri Kogoro,_ _will find the one who murdered Kenzo-san and Kenzashi-san_ ," _announced Mouri who was standing_ _at the end of_ _the table._

 _"Oji-san -"_ _said Kazuha who was beside Ran near the opposite end._

 _"Also, I will find out who killed Kentaro-san's_ father and bring both culprits to justice!"

 _"Oji-san -"_

 _"And then, everything will be all right once again. Thanks to the Great Detective Mouri Kogoro!_ _BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_

 _Kazuha smiled a sarcastic smile and clenched her fist. Ran saw her and tried to calm her down, but it was too late. "OJI-SAN!" Everone in the dining room, especially Mouri, flinched. "I just saw Heiji and Kudo-kun pass by..." Her fist still clenched._

 _"Then go get them," said Mouri._

 _"Okay," replied Kazuha with a smile then she headed out._

 _Aiko-san whispered something in Ran's ear. "Is she always like that?"_

 _"No. She's much worse than this."_

 _"I HEARD YOU, RAN-CHAN!" Aiko-san and Ran were taken aback._

 _"Jeez... Kazuha-chan has sharp ears."_

 **End of Flashback**

"So that's what happened," said Heiji.

"Come on, you two. It's only a few hours till daylight comes out. The police will help us soon." They started walking back to the dining room. "It's kinda strange…"

"What is?" asked Shinichi.

"Well, you both are great detectives and either of you should be able to solve the case fast. Heck, with both of you working together, along with oji-san, the case should've been solved a lot earlier. Maybe you two aren't such good detectives, after all…" She turned around to look at them with a smirk on her face.

Shinichi and Heiji both gave an embarassed grin. But they were very pissed off inside. 'Hey, Kazuha-chan, if you only knew how what is our current position right now…' said Shinichi in his thoughts.

'AHOU! Want to switch bodies? That way, you'll know how hard this case is…' yelled Heiji in his mind.

Once they reached the dining room, everybody was sitting down and chatting. "You two, where have you been?" asked Mouri.

"We were investigating outside," replied Shinichi.

"Hmph… So did you find anything?" Heiji and Shinichi looked at each other. They knew that if they tell him what they saw, he would create fake deductions involving the evidence. But if they didn't tell him, he'll never know what the culprit did and what he's planning to do.

"We didn't find anything," said Heiji.

"Just as I thought…"

"What do you mean, Kogoro-ojisan?" asked Shinichi.

"I've been searching the house for clues as well since I saw you two investigating outside. I didn't find anything."

'Wow. Who knew he would find clues as well.' "So what are we going to do, Oji-san?"

Mouri stood up from his seat and looked out the window. "Aiko-san, could you get us some coffee?" he asked. He turned around to face the wealthy owner. "I'm sorry, Kentaro-san, it's just that I don't want to fall asleep…"

"It's okay, Mouri-san, I was about to ask the same thing as well."

Mouri then looked back out the window. "Gaki, I think the best thing we should do is wait for daylight and let the police help us."

Shinichi and Heiji's eyes shot open. "Hattori, stand near the light switch, I got a plan," whispered Shinichi.

"Way ahead of you," Heiji whispered back. He stood near Kazuha, who was the one sitting the closest to the light switch.

"Damn culprit…" muttered Mouri. "No doubt the one committing the murders right now is the one who killed Kentaro-san's father. But, if it was you, Kentaro-san, maybe you already knew who it was and killed him yourself."

"No, I don't know who it is!" replied Kentaro-san.

"Well, if that's true, the culprit who killed Kenzsashi-san is one of the people who left earlier. That includes Oscar-san, Midori-san, and Tsutomu-san. And anyone of you could have been the one who killed Kenzo-san. I saw burn marks leading to the kitchen door and since we were all separated from each other due to checking on our things, anyone of you could do it." All of the people mentioned looked at him. "I'm sure that the police –" The lights suddenly turned off.

"Who turned out the lights?!" screamed Kentaro-san.

"Hang on, I'll switch it on!" screamed Mouri.

The event sent chills to Ran and Kazuha who hugged each other and closed their eyes. Shinichi and Heiji remained calm and smiled. A voice shook the room. "AAARRRGGGHHH!" THUD.

"Who screamed?!" shouted Tsutomu-san.

"I'm almost to the lights!" said Mouri. The window then shattered, with glass flying everywhere. Everyone, including Shinichi and Heiji, were in shock.

"The culprit is getting away!" bellowed Kentaro-san.

"I found the light switch!" said Mouri. The light was then turned back on… by Heiji. Mouri was standing near Midori-san and Mayumi-san's seat. They didn't know that Shinichi was the one who was speaking with the Voice-Changing bowtie and Heiji was the one who opened the lights. They all are shocked with who was wriggling in pain. It was Oscar-san, and he was gripping his right thigh.

Mouri immediately sprung into action. "Oscar-san, what happened?!"

Oscar-san grinned in pain. "I-I don't k-know… when t-the lights w-were out, I was j-just in my s-seat, closing my eyes u-until the lights are b-back on. T-then my thigh was s-stabbed." Mouri looked at his injury.

"Ran! Go find a first aid kit!" said Mouri.

"There's one in the kitchen!" pouted Kentaro-san. Ran nodded and headed out.

"Don't worry, Oscar-san, you're going to be all right," said Mouri.

"Did something wrong happen?" Everybody looked at who was speaking. "Ran-san told me she was going to the kitchen to get the first aid kit," said Aiko-san who was holding a tray with a pitcher and cups.

"Oscar-san was attacked," Midori-san explained. Aiko-san put down the tray on the table. "The lights were surprisingly turned off earlier then he was attacked."

"Oh my, that's horrible."

Mouri stood up from kneeling near Oscar-san. "At any rate, the culprit couldn't have gone far. He may be an outsider, but he won't get away from us! You two!" He called to Shinichi and Heiji. "You're coming with me! We need to find who did it!" He started to walk to the window which was broken. "Hmmm… looks like this chair was used to shatter the glass." He looked at the chair which was laying on the floor. He knelt and noticed some glass shards attached to the legs. "Yep… this was definitely used to break the glass." He stood up and saw that the two detectives haven't moved an inch. "Come on, you two! Do you want to catch the culprit or not?!"

The both of them smiled. Heiji was the first to speak. "Ochan, you're seriously gonna leave?"

Shinichi continued. "Right when the culprit is here with us?"

"WHAT?" screamed Mouri. Everyone's eyes widened. "What do you mean the culprit is here? The window was shattered earlier, and the culprit escaped through there!"

"Look for yourself, Kogoro-ojisan. This house is built on top of stone, and surrounding it is the grass. No footprints would be visible. So, Mr. Culprit, you won't get away with this!" Mouri looked outside. What Shinichi said was true.

"You're right. Well then, who is the culprit? You sound like you solved the case."

"Before that, ochan. Let's understand first how the crimes were committed. Everyone take a seat." Everyone sat as Ran came back with the first aid.

"Ran, go treat Oscar-san's thigh," said Mouri.

"Now then, ochan. The first crime was the case of Kenzashi-san, who drove off the cliff. It looked like he was driving the car, but he was actually dead even before the car had started moving." Heiji started walking around the room, as Tsutomu-san watched him with fear.

Shinichi continued. "The culprit likely stabbed him while he was checking his car. He then dragged Kenzashi-san to the passenger seat, took his keys and drove the car back away from the cliff, maintaining a straight position. He then arranged Kenzashi-san in a position where he would look like he was the one driving. The culprit took a heavy object, maybe a rock, and put in the gas, he was being very careful on not putting too much weight on the gas, otherwise it would be visible to us before he could even be with us here."

"The culprit powered up the car and it accelerated slowly. The culprit ran back and changed into a fresh batch of clothes, since the blood stained him. He then joined us here as we watched the car go off the cliff. After the murder, and everyone the culprit put a small piece of rope in front of Tsutomu-san's room when you were all checking your things. He knew about Tsutomu-san's intention to commit suicide."

Everyone's eyes widened yet again. Yuriko-san spoke. "Why do you plan on killing yourself?!"

"I-I don't l-like seeing dead people," replied Tsutomu-san.

Kentaro-san stood up from his seat and grabbed Tsutomu-san on his collar. "So you plan on committing suicide to escape your crimes?! Why did you kill my father?!"

"Kentaro, y-you got it all wrong! I didn't kill Uncle!"

"Tell that to the police!"

Shinichi interrupted. "Wait, Kentaro-san. Hattori said he was going to commit suicide, not that he was the culprit." Hearing this, Kentaro-san released him and walked back to his seat. "Moving on, the culprit took advantage of Tsutomu-san's intentions to frame him. I can't believe that even me and Hattori would fall for it. Then the second murder happened, the case of Kenzo-san. The culprit knew that Kenzo-san would go outside to his car, so he poured kerosene from near the kitchen door to the car."

"This lighter was found near the car." Heiji showed the lighter they found earlier to all of them as Ran took a seat as well, having finished treating Oscar-san's thigh. "Obviously this belongs to Kenzo-san, am I right, Mayumi-san?" She nodded. "The culprit used a match to light the kerosene trail, setting the car ablaze. Kenzo-san forced himself to throw this out of the car to make us notice the kerosene trail. After that, the culprit left and joined us outside."

"Who?! Who?! Who is the god-damned culprit!" yelled Kentaro-san.

"Kentaro-san, did your father do something that you didn't like?" asked Shinichi.

"Well, he did leave me and my late mother once and had a new family. But I forgave him ever since."

"Did he have any children with his other woman?"

"He once told me that the child was brought to Tokyo by a friend of his and is being raised by an orphanage."

"That child might be among us right now."

"Hey, brat… you don't mean…" said Mouri.

"Yes, ojisan. The murderer is you… Aiko-san!" Everybody turned their eyes upon the maid.

"You're… m-my… s-sister?" asked Kentaro-san in disbelief. He also looked like he was about to cry at any second.

Heiji continued. "Aiko-san turned the lights off earlier and stabbed Oscar-san's leg. Since ochan was nearing the light switch, she had no choice but to break the windows then jump through it and run to the kitchen door." Aiko-san continued to look down at the table. "After running back to the kitchen, she took the tray she prepared and went back here. Well, sooner or later, she would've killed Oscar-san anyway. So, are we wrong?"

Aiko-san stood up from her seat angrily. "Stop blaming people with your fake deductions! You don't even have any proof that I did all these murders! It's true that I'm the sister of Kentaro-neesan and I changed my name, but that doesn't come close to me being a murderer!" Kentaro-san watched her with a tear flowing out of his eye.

Shinichi stepped forward. "I'll admit. You were good. You managed to fool us. But we finally found evidence that proves you did it." Aiko-san gasped. Shinichi reached inside his pocket and took the handkerchief with the ring. He showed it to everyone. "This ring of yours fell out of your pocket when you killed Kenzashi-san. I'm sure that with some tests, it will show your fingerprints."

Aiko-san's eyebrows met but then moved away, then her eyes closed. "That's not my ring."

Heiji and Shinichi sweat-dropped. But then kept a serious face. Heiji was getting angry. "Don't try to deny it! This IS yours. If you want more proof," he took out the picture from his jacket and lay it on the table for everyone to see. "There! See? It's either yours or your husband's!"

"I'm not married yet." Everyone's eyes widened. Kentaro-san still couldn't believe what was happening in front of his eyes.

"Are you still denying that you did it?!" asked Shinichi.

"No. You're right. I killed father, Kenzo-san, and Kenzashi-san. But that's not my ring. That's my mother's."

"Then could you please tell us why you did it?" asked Mouri.

"As a kid, I was happy with okaasan, everything was perfect. Until, otosan said that he was going to leave us. Okaasan wanted him to stay, but he resisted. Okaasan warned him that if he leaves, he'll never get to see our faces again. He stormed out of the house in anger. Then one night, I got out of bed to sleep with okaasan, but when I peeked through the door, I saw three men killed her. I ran back to my room, I said to myself that it was just a dream, but it wasn't. The next morning, otosan's friend came to deliver me to the orphanage. I then vowed to get my revenge on the one's who killed my mother. Two years ago, I found out that otosan gave the orders to the three men I killed today. Well, the other one got safe," she glared at Oscar-san. "My hatred and anger for them grew and I came up with this plan so that I could avenge okaasan's death. I thought I would be succ –"

"You're w-wrong, Aiko-san," said Oscar-san.

She glared at him. "What do you mean I'm wrong?!"

"I didn't kill your mother."

"What are you talking about?!"

"Kenzashi-san and Kenzo-san did, but not me. The other man, Kizashi-san, died four months ago, you knew he died right? You were there."

"Don't lie!"

"I am n-not! When we were in the hospital visiting him, he said his last words. His last w-words are, 'Please forgive me for t-the murder I-I've done. I didn't want to do it. Say sorry to our c-cousin for me, will you?' He was sorry. If you don't believe me, ask everyone here! They've heard it themselves. You targeted the wrong person."

"N-no way… that's not true! You're lying! Everyone, is it true?" Everyone in the family nodded. She fell to the floor on her knees as tears flowed from her eyes.

Mouri then spoke. "Aiko-san, do you think your mother would be proud of you? Do you think that by killing people, she'd praise you? Do you think that by bringing justice to your mother's death by yourself would call you a hero?" Aiko-san cried loudly as the sun's first rays of light shined.

The police, led by Inspector Jugo Yokomizo, came. Like other times, he wasn't happy seeing Mouri. But the three detectives explained everything thoroughly to him. Aiko-san was arrested and the case from last year was finally closed. Heiji, Shinichi, and Mouri all accepted an equal amount of twenty thousand yen from Kentaro-san. The rich owner admitted to them that he felt sad that his own sister was the culprit of the case, but he wanted to move on. Afterwards, they bid farewell and started to head home.

"Man, I can't wait to go home and get some sleep," yawned Mouri.

"Otosan, focus on the road," said Ran.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Heiji, what took you so long to solve the case?" asked Kazuha.

"Well… it was surprisingly hard…" replied Heiji.

"Want to get something to eat when we get home?"

"S-sure."

"Yay!" she then clinged on to Heiji's arm. Heiji blushed but soon smiled. Ran gave the Osakan detective a smirk which made Heiji blush even more.

Shinichi took his phone out and called Agasa-hagase. He waited for a few seconds then a voice spoke. "Shinichi?"

"Yo, Hagase. Can I talk to Haibara?"

"Uh, sure. Wait a moment."

Shinichi watched his three friends beside him and he smiled, showing harmony between their bond. "Kudo-kun?"

"Hey, Haibara."

"Your voice… you're not back to Conan yet?"

"Surprisingly, yes. But sooner or later, I'll transform. And Ran has let me go… it's okay now."

Shinichi never knew that Haibara smiled. "Well, that's good news. But you're still not my boyfriend." She smirked.

Shinichi's inner self ripped in two while giving a grin. 'How long does this woman plan on torturing me?!' "What?! What do you mean?"

"My, my, Kudo-kun. I believe you must go out with a girl first and prove yourself before she becomes your girlfriend."

"Fine, next week, perhaps? Let's go to Tropical Land then we could go out to dinner."

"All right."

"See you later… Ai…" He instantly ended the call because he knew Haibara would lash out on him because he called her by her first name. Well, he was right. Because Haibara had an angry look on her face. But, the death glare then became a calm look.

Shinichi panted. "Who was that?" asked Ran.

His three friends were staring at him. "Uh… umm… just a friend of mine." He put on a fake smile which was broken by Kazuha.

"You have a girlfriend, don't you?" pouted Kazuha.

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you have!" Heiji and Ran chuckled.

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you have!"

'How long would this last?' Shinichi thought as the verbal battle continues and as their car drives back home.

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here..._**

 ** _"What's wrong with you, Ayumi?"_**

 ** _"Haibara-san, what bag would you like?"_**

 ** _"Pesky little brats! Say goodbye to your friend!"_**

 ** _"Bahrou... I'll always be here..."_**

 ** _CHAPTER 9: ROAD RAGE_**


	9. Road Rage

**_What's up, everybody? This story is getting good! I'm creating three battles for this story, one for the DS, one for the BO and the final battle. I decided to spare some BO members until the final battle. I'll give the list of characters next chapter. And since many people like the teasers at the end, I'll continue it. The first real romance chapter is two chapters away, and don't blame me if it isn't good. I'm not good with romance, but I'll try my best. Keep up with the reviews and enjoy!_**

* * *

"Leaving so soon, Shinichi?" asked Ran.

"Yeah," replied Shinichi. "Just received a call from okaasan, she said I'm to accompany her to America." A few minutes ago, Shinichi felt that at any second, he was going to transform back into Conan. Good thing Heiji noticed him, so he came up with the idea of his rival to leave.

"Be sure to visit again."

"Hey, Kudo. Until the next case," said Heiji. He then raised his fist for a fist bump and Shinichi accepted it. "We should do this more often." Shinichi chuckled.

"Kudo-kun, why do you always leave?" asked Kazuha.

Shinichi felt more pain inside. The transformation would begin any moment. "K-Kazuha-chan, a detective needs to solve cases, no matter what. And my mother needs me. A-anyway, I'll be going now." He held the door knob and opened it. "Ran, take care of Oji-san, I think he has a cold." Ran looked at her father, whose face was sprawled on his desk. "Bye!"

"So, are you going home as well?" asked Ran.

"Yeah, I'm sure oyaji is starting to get worried. It's been three days, but I only told him we'll be gone for two." The Osakan duo grabbed their backpacks and stood at the door.

"See you again, Ran-chan!" squeaked Kazuha.

Ran waved her hand goodbye as Heiji closed the door. She then checked her father's temperature, and smirked. 'Hmph… he can deduce even illnesses?!'

Meanwhile, Shinichi ran back to his house and clutched his chest. "AAAAGGGGHHHH!" 'Wow. This antidote lasted for three whole days… Haibara's getting closer to completing it…' His limbs then shortened as he returned to Conan again. His body felt too weak, he couldn't even stand, and so he passed out on the floor.

Conan woke up in his own bed in his own house. He sat up looked around him, realizing that he's not at the agency nor Hagase's house. 'Why am I here? I remember passing out on the –' His thought has been cut off by his bedroom door opening. 'Don't tell me a member of the orga –' But it wasn't the person who he expected. "O-okaasan?"

"Oh, good thing you're awake, Shin-chan," replied Yukiko. "I was starting to get worried." She put the tray she was holding, which had milk and cookies on his lap. "Go on and eat." She took a seat at the chair near his bed.

Conan took a cookie, dipped it into the milk, and took a bite. "How long was I out?"

"An hour ago. I opened the house and I saw you lying on the floor. I was going to call the ambulance, but I heard you breathing."

"Why are you here?"

"Is it wrong to check up on my son?" she asked sarcastically.

"No."

"That's what I thought."

Conan then remembered that he has a date with Haibara the following week, and he didn't know what he's going to wear, and what to do when you're on a date. He hesitated to ask her at first, but he didn't want to miss the chance that his mother is here. He just said to himself many times that he wouldn't be teased. "O-okaasan?"

She turned to face him. "Yes, Shin-chan?"

"What do you think should I wear during a… a date?" He closed his eyes.

"What do you mean? You're going back to your old self to have a date with Ran-san?"

Conan opened his eyes. Her response wasn't the one he was expecting. "No. I don't love Ran like what you are thinking. I only love her like a sister."

Yukiko brought her hand to her mouth and gasped. "Then who's the mystery girl?" she squeaked.

"It's… ummm… it's…" His mother's face was getting eager by the second. "It's…" He closed his eyes, figuring that this was the right time. "Haibara…" He closed his eyes tighter.

"Haibara-san?!" She instantly hugged her son tightly, Conan could barely breath. "I knew it! You'll eventually fall for her!"

"O-okaasan… I… c-can't… b-breath…"

"Sorry, Shin-chan." She released him from his grip.

Conan first panted. "Why did you think that I'd fall for her?"

"Well, since the movie screening case, I've seen you become suspicious of Haibara-san's actions towards you. Who knew you would fall in love with her? Have you told Ran-san about this?"

"Yeah, she knows. At first she became sad and jealous, but I fixed the problem."

"That's good to hear, son. Now what is it that you want help with?"

"Well, me and Haibara are going on a date to Tropical Land next week, and I need to decide on what I'm going to wear."

"It's still a week away, why are you worrying so much?"

"I don't want to do things at the last hour."

"All right, I think you should wear a polo and pants when you two go out. Since you two won't be changing back to your old body, I suggest you go to the mall and buy children's clothes yourself. I'll leave you some money when you go shopping. I think a blue or green polo would fit you, and you decide if you want a long-sleeved one or not. Then buy yourself some pants and you're done. You have your sneakers, so don't buy another pair of shoes."

"You're not coming with me?"

"No, I need to catch my flight back to USA tonight."

"But… I need you to help me pick out good clothes!"

"Trust me, Shin-chan, you can do it yourself. Do you really want me to pick the ones that look good on you?"

Conan then had flashbacks on how his mother would take so long in picking clothes. Of course, she would always pick the ones that look _cute_ on him. Conan thought about shopping with his mother, and saw that it would completely consume his time. "No… I can do it myself," said Conan with a fake grin.

"Then good luck shopping!" She stood up from her seat.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah, I'm going out with Eri, it's been a while since we've hung out with each other." She grabbed a small shoulder bag and then she kissed Conan on the forehead. "I wish you luck, my son. You've grown up, and I expect you to make Haibara-san happy." Conan nodded. Afterwards, she walked out the door and when Conan heard the sound of the front door closing, he changed into a fresh batch of clothes.

He went to his neighbor's house and ringed the doorbell. "Shinichi, you're back," said Agasa-hagase.

"Yeah, I just got home this morning," replied Conan. "Is Haibara inside?"

"Yeah, she's down at the lab, I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you." Conan went inside and immediately went down the stairs. 'Shinichi… I'm looking forward to your wedding…" Hagase thought with a smirk.

Conan knocked on the door. "Yo, Haibara; can you open the door?"

Haibara opened the door and smiled. "Come in, Kudo-kun."

Conan stepped inside and sat at the bed. "Still working on the antidote?"

Haibara sat down and faced the computer again. "Of course; so what happened between you and Mouri-san?"

"I told her that she was just like a sister to me. She was sad and jealous at first, but I managed to calm her down. And she even said that she wants to meet you someday."

"I'll think about it. Oh, don't forget about our date next week. It's our first date so you should be on time."

"Of course, why would I be late?"

"Well, maybe on the way there, another murder is going to happen, Shinigami-san."

"I told you that I'm not a Shinigami!" She giggled in response.

"Really? Then why is it that wherever you go, there's a person who'll die?"

"Don't blame me. People have their reasons to kill."

The door then opened and Hagase peeked through. "Shinichi-kun, Ai-kun, your friends are looking for you outside." The both of them nodded and Haibara turned off her computer.

As they walked up the stairs, Conan noticed that she could be forgetting something that he did. "Uh, Haibara?"

"What?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"No, what is it?"

"Don't kill me… if you remember… I called you 'Ai' during our call." They stopped walking all of a sudden and Haibara gave him a death glare. Conan was a little scared, but thought of her appearance as cute.

The glare then became a normal face. "It's okay, you can call me by my first name if you want." He smiled and they continued walking out the front door and their three friends greeted them.

"Hey, Conan-kun, Haibara-san, do you want to go to the park with us?" asked Ayumi cheerfully.

"Why?" asked Conan.

"My godfather gave me one thousand yen as an advanced birthday gift and I want to treat all of you to a restaurant later."

"Okay, me and Ai weren't doing anything anyway." Genta and Mitsuhiko's eyes shot open.

"CONAN-KUN, WHY DID YOU CALL HAIBARA-SAN, AI?!" exclaimed Mitsuhiko.

"YEAH, YOU CALL HER HAIBARA, NOT AI!" screamed Genta.

Conan shrunk down from his friends' glare, but managed to speak. "Don't look at me me, she allowed me to do so, didn't you?" He turned to Haibara, who simply nodded with a small blush.

"Really?!" said Mitsuhiko. "Then we can call you –"

"Don't. Even. Think. About. It." She gave a death glare to the both of her friends.

"H-hai…" said Mitsuhiko and Genta in unison.

"Well, now that's settled," piped up Ayumi. "Let's move on to the park!" She then walked out the gate and the others chased after her.

As they walked, the two teenagers in disguise talked to each other secretly. "I think something's wrong with Yoshida-san," Haibara whispered.

"Yeah," replied Conan. "She usually sticks to me or tries to get close to me, at least. Now, she's leading the way, far from me. I think something's wrong with her. I'll go find out later."

"You should. She has been a real friend to me, and I can't bear the sight of her getting hurt or sad."

Once they reached the park, Ayumi bought them all ice cream and they sat on the bench. Conan realized that it was his opportunity to talk with her. He stood up and walked to Ayumi, who was on the opposite side of the bench, far from Conan and Haibara. "Ayumi-chan, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked.

"Okay," she replied. She stood up from her seat and he led the way to some trees. "So, what do you want to talk about, Conan-kun?"

"What's wrong with you, Ayumi?"

"What do you mean?"

"Normally, you always stick around me or at least, try to be alone with me. But, I saw earlier, you were trying to be far from me. Was there something wrong I did?"

"No. I just realized during the Tsuchinoko case that you like Ai-chan."

Conan's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"I saw your actions towards her. First, you were holding hands with her when we went to Hagase's house. Then she slept on your shoulder and you slept on top of her…"

Meanwhile, the three remaining children still remained on the bench. "Man, what is taking Conan and Ayumi-chan so long?"

Haibara stood up. "They probably want to fix things regarding Yoshida-san's feelings for Edogawa-kun." She walked to the nearby newspaper stand, bought one and returned to the bench. Now that Conan was with Ayumi, Mitsuhiko took advantage of the situation.

"Haibara-san, what bag would you like?" he asked.

"Prada," she replied without taking her eyes off the newspaper. "Are you planning to buy me one?"

"No, no. I w-was just asking." He scratched his head. 'I'll use my extra allowance to buy the bag!' he thought. 'I must not let Conan-kun win!'

"Hey, you two check this out." Genta and Mistuhiko went to her and looked at the newspaper. She began to read the title of a news. "Raging car causes road accident. Says here that suspicious cars have been causing mayhem by crashing into other cars. There have been two incidents already. They're all in Tokyo."

"Then it's only a matter of time before a third incident happens," added Mitsuhiko.

"I say we investigate them," said Genta. Mitsuhiko was the only one who nodded. Haibara then regretted telling them about it, they would just get themselves in danger again. They got off the chair and Haibara tried to protest with them.

"Tsu –" she pouted.

"Come on, Haibara-san!" said Mitsuhiko. "The Detective Boys are needed!" She had no choice but to nod.

"But, Mitsuhiko, what about Conan and Ayumi-chan?" asked Genta.

"We'll just contact them through our badges." However, in truth, Mitsuhiko wasn't planning to. He knew that Conan can easily find them even without contacting him, and he wants some alone time with Haibara.

 **Back in the trees...**

"I admit, I was kind of sad when I figured out that you like Ai-chan, but then I realized you two are my friends and I should be happy for you both instead of competing for you," said Ayumi cheerfully.

Conan was touched by Ayumi's kindness. "I'm sorry that you had to go through this, Ayumi-chan… you… are a real… friend." A tear fell from Conan's eye and she noticed it. She used a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his tear goodbye.

"Don't cry, Conan-kun. I may have had a crush on you, but it's in the past now. You're better off with Ai-chan because the both of you are smart and mature. You understand each other well." She didn't expect his next action.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. Ayumi wrapped her arms around him in response. "Ayumi, thank you for being so understanding." He kissed her on her forehead and she was literally frozen in her place with her widened eyes. This was the first time Conan kissed her. When he broke the hug, she stared at him in disbelief. Conan simply smiled. "Come on, Ayumi. Let's go back." She nodded and followed him to the others.

However, when they went back to the bench they were earlier. But they were surprised when their friends weren't there. "Where the heck did they go?!" said Conan.

"Conan-kun, I'm sure that they just left to buy food."

Conan didn't listen to her suggestion and instead went to the bench to look for clues. Luckily, Haibara was smart enough to leave her newspaper behind for Conan to see. Conan examined the newspaper and gave a shocked face when he saw the headline. He turned to Ayumi, who was observing him. "Ayumi-chan, we need to move! Mitsuhiko and the others might be in danger!"

"Why, Conan-kun? Did something happen to them?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"Look at this newspaper," he handed the newspaper to her and she read the headline. "I'm sure that they left to investigate those incidents!"

"You're right, Conan-kun. Where should we look for them?"

"They couldn't have gotten far. Maybe they're still here at the park. Let's go!" Ayumi nodded and they started to run. Soon after, they came across two paths. Would they split up, or explore the paths together? "Conan-kun, I'll take the right path, you take the left one," said Ayumi.

"What are you talking about? It's too dangerous if you're alone!" answered Conan.

"Our friends are chasing a criminal, Conan-kun. I'm not going to let that person do anything bad to them."

Conan was impressed with her determination. She really has been improving with their cases. "All right. Be careful, Ayumi-chan." She quickly nodded and they took separate ways.

Conan searched for three children as he walked through the route he took. It was after a few minutes before he saw the unmistakable strawberry blonde hair of Haibara. "Ai! Genta! Mitsuhiko!"

Genta turned around. "Hey guys, wait," he said. "Conan's here."

They all turned around. "Why did you leave us and who were you following?"

"Well, we wanted to investigate who was the man behind those road accidents in the papers."

"And?"

Mitsuhiko continued. "We saw two suspicious guys taking separate paths earlier. You might have seen it when you went here. We wanted to follow the man taking the left path first so here we are."

"So where's the suspicious guy?"

"We weren't very lucky, turns out the guy we followed was just nervous about proposing to his girlfriend." He pointed to a man kneeling not far from them and looked like he is proposing.

Conan sighed. He thought for sure that the criminal who has been causing mayhem in the streets would be brought to justice. But then his eyes shot open. 'Oh no! If the criminal's not here, then –' He looked back and started running.

Genta noticed him. "Hey, Conan! Wait for us!" The three started to run after Conan.

Conan slowed down a bit so his friends could catch up. "Hey, Conan-kun? What's wrong?" said Mitsuhiko.

"If you said that the criminal wasn't in the path you took, then the criminal must be on the other path!"

"Yeah, maybe. What's wrong about it?"

"This is bad! Ayumi-chan took the other path earlier when we were searching for you!" This earned gasps from everyone.

"Then let's hurry up!" said Haibara.

They reached the intersection and they went to the right path where Ayumi-chan went. Mitsuhiko and Genta kept calling out to her, but there was no response. "Ayumi-chan!"

"Ayumi-chan!"

"Ayumi-chan!"

Conan and Haibara stopped in their tracks. They saw a semicircle object lying on the ground. It was pink, and Conan instantly knew what it was and who it belonged to. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and held the pink hairband. He got his magnifying glass from his other pocket and examined the hairband. 'Way to go, Ayumi-chan!' he thought. 'You're getting better in being a detective!' "Hey, guys!"

"What is it, Conan?" asked Genta.

"This is no doubt Ayumi-chan's hairband. I want you two to go to the nearest station and take this to the forensics there. Have them check whose fingerprints are on this hairband. Me and Ai will try to contact her through our badges and we'll go to where she is. We'll tell you the address of where we are and get the police there then the criminal will be arrested."

Mitsuhiko wanted to protest, but Ayumi's safety is what matters right now, and he won't let his competition for love be in the way of rescuing a friend. He and Genta nodded.

"Okay, get going!" He handed the handkerchief with the hairband to Genta and they ran off.

Conan and Haibara got out of the park and they tried to call Ayumi through their badges. "Ayumi-chan! Ayumi-chan!" Conan called.

After a few moments, a voice answered. "C-Conan-kun? Is that you?"

Conan and Haibara both gave sighs of relief. "Me and Ai thought you were dead."

"I think… I was just… knocked out…"

 **An hour ago...**

 _"Ai-chan! Mitsuhiko-kun! Genta-kun!" Ayumi_ _called. "Where are you? Come on out! Let's find the criminal of the road accidents together!"_ _A mysterious person was watching Ayumi's movements not far away. "Ai-chan! Mitsuhiko-kun! Genta -"_ _Her words were cut off by a hand to her mouth._ _The man ruffled her hair a bit and touched her hairband in the process._

 _"Don't worry, I'm not a bad person," said the man._ _"I'm just going to treat you to some food."_

 _Unfortunately, Ayumi was smarter than he thought. As he grabbed her hand and walked away from the park, Ayumi silently took her hairband off with her other arm and left it on the ground. 'Conan-kun, I hope you find my hairband,' she thought._

 **End of Flashback**

"Where are you now?" asked Conan.

"I think I'm in a dark room right now."

"Are there any windows there?"

Ayumi looked around her. "Yeah, there's one."

"Place your Detective Boys' Badge there, that way I can track you with my glasses."

Good thing the window wasn't from her height, and she placed her badge on it. She sat on the cold floor, waiting for her friends.

"Yes, the signal's good! I now know where she is!"

"Then let's hurry up, Kudo-kun!" exclaimed Haibara.

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Mitsuhiko and Genta managed to get Takagi-keiji to examine Ayumi's hairband. They waited for five minutes to get the results as Takagi-keiji called Megure-keibu to witness the outcome.

The results were given to Takagi-keiji and they went to Megure's office. "The fingerprints belong to Maruyama Jujiro," announced Takagi-keiji. "According to reports, he was once a car dealer, but his business broke down due to loans. He currently resides at Haido district."

"Hmmm, there's a chance that he could be the one behind those road incident," said Megure-keibu. "Then let's lead a team of –"

"Please wait, Keibu," said Mitsuhiko. "I'll call Conan and let's see if he the criminal is really at home." He took out his badge and tried to call Conan. "Conan-kun! Conan-kun!"

"Conan here. What's happening Mitsuhiko?"

"We found out whose fingerprints were on Ayumi-chan's hairband."

"Whose prints was it?"

"Someone named Maruyama Jujiro. He was a car dealer but his business broke down because of loans."

"I see. Then tell the police he is in a warehouse near Beika Supermarket. If you hurry, we might still be able to catch the culprit."

"Okay." Mitsuhiko ended the call and Megure-keibu assembled a small team of officers and they all went to their respective cars and turned on their sirens.

Conan and Haibara entered the warehouse. The place was big, and what's distinctive about it is that there are so many cars in it. Seeing these many cars sparked a conclusion in Conan's mind. 'So that's how he does it… well, he can't escape now…'

"Kudo-kun, I'll find Yoshida-san in the rooms here. You go look for the criminal." Conan nodded in response as he went to the larger areas of the warehouse.

Conan has reached the opposite side yet he hasn't found Maruyama Jujiro. When he leaned over a car to rest for a bit, a door opened. Conan hid between two cars and he observed the man's distinctive appearance. Pale skin, blue eyes, and bore long spiky hair. He watched as the man went straight to a black car and he opened the door. Conan looked over to his left side and saw the pathway that the car was going through. His eyes widened when he saw Ayumi, who has her arms tied, was in the middle of the car's route. He relayed Ayumi's location to Haibara through the badges. Conan decides to stall for time by confronting the criminal.

Maruyama-san opened the door to his black car which prompted Conan to speak. "So, Mr. Criminal…" Maruyama-san suddenly stopped and began to listen. "Can we stop playing hide-and-seek?"

"What are you talking about?" Maruyama-san spat back.

"Don't be stupid and admit it already. It was you who has been causing all the road accidents in Tokyo. I now get it why there were different cars at different scenes instead of only one."

"And what's that?"

"You're a car dealer back in the day, am I right? Which means you have many cars in stock. Before you crash your car during the accidents, you jump off the car and run away to a hiding place. What's more, our friend Ayumi was able to get your fingerprints when you kidnapped her so you can't escape this time."

"Oh, yeah? How could she, a kid like you, provide evidence to show that I kidnapped her?" he answered with a smirk.

"You touched her hairband earlier, and she threw it off silently for us to find. My other two friends are in the police station right now and they finished testing the hairband. I'm sure they're on the way here right now because I told them about your location.

Maruyama-san gave a growl. "It's useless, Maruyama-san, my friend Haibara is already there at Ayumi's side, untying the ropes that bind her hands so you can't run over her. Just give –"

"Pesky little brats! Say goodbye to your friend!" He entered the car quickly and Conan wasn't able to use his tranquilizer. Maruyama-san powered up the car and drove.

Conan started to run after him and screamed, "Ai! Hurry up or he'll run over you both!"

Haibara heard him and saw that the black car was already moving. She tried to untie the one knot that was holding the rope together, but it was just too complicated. "Ai-chan!" Ayumi squeaked. The car was closing in. Knowing she can't untie the rope in time, she pushes Ayumi to the side, away from harm. "Ai-chan! No!"

Haibara turned to look at the car mere meters from her. 'Onee-chan, see you there up there.'

Conan jumped and dived as she looked at him with widened eyes, grabbing her waist and pulling her close to him, as he lands near Ayumi, successfully saving her life again. She looked at him, who was panting and staring at the black car.

The black car suddenly halted as Maruyama-san stepped out. "You little pest! Who do you think you are?!"

He let go of Haibara and forced himself to stand up. "E-Edogawa Conan, tantei sa!"

He stared at the kid with hints of fear. "T-tantei?!"

The warehouse door burst open. Police officers came in, with Megure-keibu and Takagi-keiji. "Get down on the ground and put your hands behind your head," said Megure-keibu. "Now!"

Maruyama-san pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed it on Conan. "Stay back! Make one move, I'll pull the trigger!"

Conan, who was still panting, prepared his tranquilizer. 'Enough's enough. I had so much fun today, because of you.' He aimed it at the criminal and shot, making Maruyama-san fall to the ground, asleep.

The police took a sleeping Maruyama-san away, as Conan, Haibara, and Ayumi went out the warehouse. They were greeted first by Genta and Mitsuhiko, who came along with the police. Then, Megure-keibu "congratulated" them in doing a good job. While their three friends were reuniting, Haibara then said something. "Why did you do it?"

Conan turned to her. "Why did I do what?" he asked in confusion.

"You were almost gotten hit by the car earlier. It was mere seconds before it would have hit me, so why risk yourself even to that point?"

"Bahrou… I'll always be here." Haibara smiled and thought about something.

"One more thing, why do you poke my forehead?"

Conan thought about it. "Oh, you mean like this," he brought up to fingers and poked her forehead.

"I asked you why you do it, not do it…"

"If you really want to know, I'll tell you..." Haibara looked at him with demanding eyes. "During our date." Haibara wanted to scream at him right now for making her wait for the answer. But in return, she was more eager to take their date seriously.

"Okay, I'll look forward to it." The Detective Boys then continued to a restaurant where Ayumi treated them all.

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here..._**

 ** _"We'll help you, Conan-kun."_**

 ** _"Mitsuhiko, what are you doing here?"_**

 ** _"I say we help them get together."_**

 ** _"Let's stop playing games..."_**

 ** _CHAPTER 10: FITTING ROOM OF DOOM_**


	10. Fitting Room of Doom

**_Sorry for taking so long guys, it's hard to think of names. Anyways, as I have said last chapter, here's the list:_**

 ** _1\. The Boss_**

 ** _2\. Gin (Got a really special plan for him)_**

 ** _3\. Vermouth (I have a plan for her)_**

 ** _4\. Tequila_**

 ** _5\. Vodka_**

 ** _6\. Spider_**

 ** _7\. Snake_**

 ** _There. I'm thinking of ways on how to create the battle scenes more interesting, so writing them may take time. But, I am NOT, I repeat, NOT abandoning this story. I'll surely complete this one way or another. So enjoy this chapter and write reviews!_**

* * *

Conan woke up to the sound of his alarm clock. It was eight in the morning, and he was planning to go to Beika Department Store to buy himself some clothes. He got up and headed to the sink to wash his face and brush his teeth. 'What did okaasan recommend me to wear?' he thought. 'I recall a polo and new pants. Kami I hope no cases happen today. I'm not in the mood to solve anything.'

He headed out his room where he saw Ran cooking breakfast. He first went to the phone to contact a close friend of his. "Hey, Kaito," he said. "How's it going?"

"If you mean the Pandora gem, still no luck. If you mean Aoko, we're doing great. Why'd you call?"

"Where are you right now?"

"Home. I'm actually planning for the next heist tomorrow."

"Well, good luck with that. But keep your eyes open for members of the organization. (Guys! Let's assume the organizations from Magic Kaito and DC are the same.) Also there's a new syndicate we need to deal with."

"What is the name?"

"The Dragon Syndicate."

"Never heard of them. But based on their name, I'm sure that they have codenames derived from dragons and they wear clothes with dragons on it, am I right?"

Conan chuckled and smirked. "You know you could start a career as a detective with your intelligence."

Kaito raised an eyebrow from the other line. "Really? Not a bad idea, I'll think about it."

Conan's eyes shot open. "Seriously?! I was only joking!"

"Even so, I like your idea, tantei-kun. When this is all over, I'll retire from being a magician and be a detective like you instead."

Conan imagined of the both of them solving a case, and it would serve as their get together. He even added Heiji to the thought, and they would create the ultimate team of detectives. "You know what? Go on. I'll look forward to solving cases with you. And when we're alone, like right now, call me by my name."

"All right… Shinichi. See you later."

"Talk to you later, Kaito." Conan put down the phone as Ran was preparing three plates on the table. He saw Mouri rubbing his eyes and yawning. He went to the table and sat down. Ran also sat down after setting their breakfast on the table.

"Who were you talking to, Conan-kun?" asked Ran.

"I was just talking to Agasa-hagase," said Conan, who instantly began eating fast.

Ran noticed his sudden rush. "Conan-kun, why are you such in a hurry?"

Conan grinned as he thought of an excuse. When the got none, he decided to tell the truth. "I'm going to the Department Store later…"

Ran raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"To buy some clothes." Conan wished for her not to ask anymore, otherwise he would be forced to tell the truth about him and Haibara.

"For what?" Conan face-palmed in his thoughts.

"You see, Ran-neechan, I… have a… date with… Ai next week." He closed his eyes to prepare for what would happen next.

Ran gasped. "You got a date with Ai-chan?! Look at you, you're growing up. And now you call her 'Ai' and not 'Haibara' anymore. It won't be long before you get yourself a girlfriend, Conan-kun."

Mouri then spoke up. He was still rubbing his eyes then he sat down. "What do you mean this gaki's got a girlfriend?"

"You see, otosan… your _son_ here has a date with Ai-chan next week and he's planning to go to the Department Store to buy some new clothes." Conan's face flushed.

"Oh, that little blonde-haired girl? Hmph…" he smirked. "Can't say I'm surprised to know that they're going on a date. I've seen this gaki give that girl romantic glances."

"Oh, that's right Conan-kun, me and Sonoko are also going to the Department Store later. She also wants to buy new clothes for her date with Kyugoku-san. Let's go there together."

"Okay, Ran-neechan."

Mouri thought deeply. 'I wonder if Ran has a date as well. Kami I need a date! Oh, that's right. Well, I'll go ask her after Ran and Conan get out of here, otherwise I'll be embarrassing myself.'

Ran and Conan left after lunch and Mouri went to the phone. "Eri? Are you there?"

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I wanted to ask how you're doing right now…"

"Well, just relaxing here in my office, because I'm bored. There hasn't been any case for the past few days."

"Oh, since you're free right now," he gulped and prayed that she'd understand. "What would you say… if we go get something… to eat together?"

Eri's gasp from the other line was heard by Mouri. "Anata! I'd love to! Just let me take a bath and change some clothes, then I'll go there at the agency. See you." Then the call was ended.

"YATTA! I need to wash up and change clothes…" he then charged to the bathroom.

Ran sighed outside the department store of Beika Mall. "Sonoko said she'll be here at exactly twelve. But it's 12:15 now…"

"Ran-neechan, I think she's with some friends," said Conan.

"What are you talking about, Conan-kun? She said that only the three of us –" She then saw Sonoko with four other people, three boys and a girl, cutting off her sentence.

"Oh hey, Ran!"said Sonoko.

"Sonoko, I thought only the three of us are going shopping today."

"I didn't bring them with me, I just saw them on the way here. And they're seniors from our school!"

"They are?"

"Yeah, this here's Sukiyama Takeru," the teen who had a baseball cap bowed. "He's second in his class.

'His cap reminds me of Hattori,' Conan thought.

"This is Hareno Shiro," Sonoko continued.

"Nice to meet you," said the teenager with glasses that looked almost identical to Conan's. He looked like he had a cold, and he has been sneezing on his handkerchief. Conan saw his hanky with his initials on it.

'His name reminds me of her real one…' An image of Haibara Ai and Miyano Shiho then appeared inside of his thoughts.

"He's Yasunori Masahiro. He's a transferee from America." The teen with a crucifix raised both his eyebrows as a gesture of greeting. His crucifix made Conan notice that he is a Christian.

"And this girl is Takeuchi Junko." The girl with braided hair giggled at Conan and Ran.

"I saw them on my way here and they asked me if I was Makoto-san's girlfriend, I said yes; then they said they're one of his biggest fans and they even have a small fan club dedicated for him! They also asked if they could join us in shopping."

"Well, it's more fun if more people would join," said Ran. "Let's go."

They all went inside and saw that everything had been divided into different sections. Conan sighed when he saw that the children's section was near the exit to the parking lot, far from where Ran and Sonoko are checking out some clothes. "Ran-neechan, I'm going to go to the children's section," said Conan.

"Okay, meet us at the teenager section when you're done, Conan-kun," answered Ran.

Conan walked past the accessory section when someone familiar caught his eye. He stopped and walked to the person. "Mitsuhiko, what are you doing here? And shouldn't you be at the children's section?" he asked.

"Conan-kun! Uh… I… well, you see… my mom… um… wants me to… check out a suitable… bag for her," he grinned to mask his true emotions.

"Okay. Then I hope you find the right bag. See you around!" Conan then proceeded to the children's area as Mitsuhiko continued searching through the bags on the shelves.

'I didn't know Conan-kun was here…" Mitsuhiko thought. 'Why is he here? Never mind that. I need to stay focused on finding that Prada bag for Haibara-san.'

Conan searched for polos and he immediately saw the shelves containing them after checking the shelves beside them. He picked a blue, simple-striped button-up one and he checked it on himself on the mirror. He liked it very much and brought it with him as he goes to the pants.

It was a hard choice for him to make, due to all the jeans there would look good on him. However, he made the final decision when he bought a pair of black skinny jeans. He went to the fitting room with the clothes he picked.

Accompanied by his signature red sneakers, Conan looked very handsome in the polo and jeans he picked. He became proud of himself after what he had done. 'Good job, me. I did it!'

He went to the cashier near the entrance/exit and paid for his chosen clothes. The cashier put them all in a small bag and Conan took it, running to the teens section back to Sonoko and Ran.

When he got there, only Ran and Sonoko were present. "Ran-neechan, Sonoko-neechan, where are the others?" asked Conan.

"Conan-kun, they all went to separate fitting rooms earlier," replied Ran.

 **Flashback**

 _"I'm choosing this purple tank top!" said Junko-san._

 _"Are you sure about that, Junko-san?" asked Takeru-san._

 _"Yeah, I'm sure."_

 _"Then, I'm having this t-shirt. I like its design. Well, how about you, Shiro-kun?"_

 _Shiro-san shrugged his shoulders. "Guess I'll just pick a random t-shirt for me, I'm not really into fashion."_

 _"Suit yourself. What will you buy, Masahiro-kun?"_

 _"I'm buying new shoes for me, I already have good clothes back at home and the shoes I use have worn out."_

 _Ran and Sonoko talked to each other silently. Sonoko made the first move. "Hey, Ran."_

 _"What is it?_

 _"What do you think they're planning?"_

 _"Maybe they're getting ready for a party or something."_

 _"I'll go ask them." Sonoko turned to the four seniors. "Why are you guys buying new clothes anyway? Are you going somewhere?"_

 _It was Junko-san who spoke. "We're actually planning to go camping next week."_

 _"Really? That would be so fun. Thanks for saying it."_

 _"Then we're off to the fitting rooms." Everyone, excluding Ran and Sonoko went off._

 **End of Flashback**

"It's been ten minutes since they left," said Ran.

Conan sat on the floor while waiting. Ran and Sonoko talked about him secretly. "Ran, are you sure he's going on a date? Maybe he just wants attention," said Sonoko.

"No, no, it's a real date. Next week, him and Ai-chan are going to Tropical Land where Shinichi and I also had a date."

"Speaking of Shinichi-kun, have you seen him lately?"

"Y-yeah, a few days ago he showed up at the agency. Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan were also there. There was a case that Hattori-kun needed to solve and he brought us, including Shinichi, along. We went to Mt. Iizuna to a mansion there. And that night, Shinichi confessed to me about his true feelings."

The suspense was getting to Sonoko. "He told me that he only loved me as a sister, and I became heartbroken. He had another girl that he loves and it tore me up inside, but –"

"That's it!" said Sonoko. "I'll find and kill that dim-witted detective! Making my best friend wait for nothing, and he –"

"Wait, Sonoko. As I was saying, it tore me up inside, but then I was relieved when he told me he still cares for me and would not let any harm come to me. He told me to stop waiting for no reason and find a man better than him. I know he hurt me, but I forgave him after that."

"Why would you forgive him?" Sonoko asked in confusion.

"Even though he hurt me, he's not like other jerks where they'll leave the girl forever. He's still one of my friends and he still cares for me. And that's fine with me. Now about Conan-kun and Ai-chan, I say we help them get together. I don't want them to end up like me and Shinichi, so let's make sure that they end up with each other."

"Sounds like a plan. But still, give Shinichi-kun a punch on the arm for me next time you see him. That's for hurting you."

"All right, all right."

A few moments later, Junko-san returned with her new clothes with Masahiro-san. Shiro-san went back a few minutes after them, however, it has been 30 minutes since Takeru-san has left. "Do you know the fitting room Takeru-san used?" asked Sonoko. "It's been quite some time since we last saw him."

"I remember seeing him use the one near the fire exit," said Shiro-san.

"Then let's go there," piped up Masahiro-san. "I'm starting to get worried about him."

The six of them went to the place Shiro-san earlier, while Conan secretly cursed himself. 'Taku, Guess I'm just not lucky today.' He already knew for sure that a case is going to occur today and he's planning to solve it as fast as he can to save time.

They knocked on the door of the fitting room where Takeru-san was last seen. Nobody inside opened the door. Masahiro-san took over and knocked loudly. "Takeru-san! Takeru-san!" Still, there was no answer. "Junko-san! Ask one of the cashiers to get us an axe and help us break down this door." She nodded and left.

After a few minutes, Junko-san returned with a male cashier holding an axe. "Stand back," the cashier said. He swung the weapon onto the door until a hole was created. This opened the door and they were all shocked to see a knife in front of them and the body of Takeru-san, sitting with his eyes wide open. His newly bought clothes were covered in blood beside him.

"Takeru-san!" screamed Shiro-san.

Conan stepped forward and checked for a pulse. He turned to everyone. "Ran-neechan, call an ambulance and the police. He's dead." Ran nodded. Conan continued to look for clues. He noticed that the knife was near the door, far from the victim. 'No, this wasn't a suicide. It's a murder. And why did the knife had to be so far?' He noticed that almost the whole knife had been covered in blood, except for the tip. 'Why isn't the tip covered? In fact it should be the one with the most blood…'

The police came in less than ten minutes. "The deceased is Sukiyama Takeru, 17 years old. He's a student at Teitan High School. The estimated time of death is between 2:00 and 2:30 and the cause of death was a stab to the heart," a forensic scientist explained.

"Where were you three during that time?" Inspector Megure asked the three friends.

"We were all in separate fitting rooms," said Masahiro-san. The inspector raised an eyebrow.

"It's true, keibu," said Ran. "Me and Sonoko saw them all left together."

"Hmmmmm… Takagi-kun!"

"What is it, Megure-keibu?" asked Takagi.

"I want you to ask the cashiers on how many customers did they have during the time of death." Takagi nodded and left.

Conan kept on investigating the body, the ambulance wasn't there yet, so he's lucky. He noticed a small slit on the wall where the knife's tip was pointing. 'A hole? What happened here? Wait a minute!' He looked at the lock on the door and back to the hole. 'So that's how it's done. I've now solved the mystery on how this room became a locked room. Now to find out who the culprit is and the evidence.'

He looked at the three friends who were talking to Megure-keibu and noticed their actions. Masahiro-san didn't have his crucifix necklace on, Junko-san grasped her new clothes tightly, and Shiro-san was coughing, yet he wasn't using his handkerchief, rather his own shirt. Conan's eyes shot open. 'There's no doubt about it. _That_ person is the culprit!'

Takagi-keiji came back. "Keibu, there were more than twenty customers besides them who went in here to buy clothes. And there were also other people who used the two remaining fitting rooms here."

"I say we go question the other customers here, and let's go back to these three later. If we get nothing, let's close this case as suicide." Takagi nodded.

'Oh no! If they left, that person will surely leave!' He went to Sonoko and shot her with his tranquilizer. She sat and leaned on the wall beside the crime scene, asleep. Conan put a speaker on her neck and ran near the shelves where Ran was.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Megure-keibu," said Sonoko.

This stopped the Inspector and Takagi-keiji. "What do you mean, Sonoko-kun?" asked Megure-keibu.

"Didn't you know? This is no suicide, it's murder." All of them shot their eyes open in shock.

"How could this be a murder, they said they were in different fitting rooms," referring to the three friends of Takeru-san.

"Let's stop playing games, don't you think? Hareno Shiro-san!" Shiro-san was temporarily shocked by her accusation, but was able to stay composed.

"W-what are you talking about? I was in a different fitting room testing out my new clothes. And even if I killed him, the door was locked from the inside. How could I lock it if I was outside?"

"He's right, Sonoko-kun," said Megure-keibu. "How could he lock it from outside?"

"The trick to turn the crime scene into a locked room is quite simple. By using the knife the murderer used to kill Takeru-san."

Takagi-keiji was taken aback and Megure-keibu was looking pissed off. "Okay… explain the trick…"

"Glad to. At first we thought the knife was the weapon, but it had another purpose. After Shiro-san killed Takeru-san, he took the knife and stabbed it in the wall near the lock. Then, he went outside the room. He placed the end of the knife near the lock and slowly but carefully, the force of the door being closed would make the knife's handle bolt the lock. Shiro-san knew that nobody could open the door, and that it would require force. When the axe was used to open the door earlier, it made the knife slip away from the lock and fall to the ground, leaving the trick unexposed. The tip of the knife was clean, proving that it was stabbed on the wall."

"I see! I never thought of that! That's why there was a small hole in the wall!" said Megure-keibu.

"Precisely. Now Shiro-san, what do you want to say?"

Shiro-san chuckled. "What a clever trick you came up with. But anyone could have done it as well. If you want to suspect me, show us the proof."

"Those clothes in a paper bag beside you, they aren't yours, are they?"

Shiro-san's eyes widened. "W-what do you mean?"

"Before you killed Takeru-san, you put on the shirt and pants you bought so the blood wouldn't stain you. After committing the crime, you took off the blood-stained clothes and put them beside the victim. You took the clothes he bought, which were unaffected, and made them your own. The clothes beside you are Takeru-san's."

Everyone's eyes were now fixed upon Shiro-san. "That's absurd! I could change my mind about the clothes I buy! Don't you have some real proof?!"

"Is that so? I'll give you better proof. Can you show us your handkerchief?"

Shiro-san was now shaking in fear. "What?"

"Show us your handkerchief. The one with your initials on it. It has the victim's blood on it. Because when you committed the crime, even though you had the extra shirt and pants on, the blood splashed to your arms. You couldn't wipe it off with your extra clothes since it would just leave more blood. So you used your handkerchief to wipe the blood off your arms. Of course, you couldn't throw it away, because people would know who the hanky belonged to. Earlier, you were coughing, but you used your shirt instead of your handkerchief to prevent us from knowing. Now what do you have to say for yourself, Shiro-san?"

Shiro-san closed his eyes tightly and knelt on the ground. Tears started to fall from his face. "I had to do it," said Shiro-san. "I had to."

"What do you mean, Shiro-san?" asked Junko-san.

"My younger sister Sakura met Takeru-kun last year. He didn't know I was her brother and as I expected, they would fall for each other when I saw them spending time together most of the time. It wasn't much time before they became boyfriend and girlfriend. But then, that son of a bitch ditched Sakura for another girl. He didn't leave a message and just left. My sister didn't take it, and killed herself days after that. I swore to myself that I'll find the man who did it to my sister. I found out it was Takeru-kun when I saw a picture of him and Sakura in her wallet. I hid my intentions when school started. We were classmates and friends, and I followed everything he did and everywhere he went. I figured that I could finally get my revenge today at the anniversary of my sister's death, and I did. Too bad I have to pay the price."

Takagi-keiji knelt down beside him and patted his shoulder. "Let's take this to the station," he said and Shiro-san nodded. They stood up and the police left the place.

Sonoko woke up and yawned. Ran went to her. "Another case solved thanks to you, Sonoko!" she said.

Sonoko raised an eyebrow but was replaced by a grin. "Of course, the Queen of Deductions won't let a single case get unsolved! Hehehehe!"

Conan chuckled in his head. 'She's just like oji-san…'

The three went back to the agency and Conan went to his room to test out the clothes he bought. 'Not bad…' he thought to himself. The blue polo matched with his black jeans. 'Hey, I'm starting that it may be abnormal for two kids to be dating. But she won't take an antidote so neither will I.' Then, Mouri's complain could be heard until outside.

"What?! You solved a case?!" asked Mouri.

"Yeah, dad," said Ran. "Sonoko was so cool earlier."

"Damn it! Why didn't you call me?! I could've aborted our date for a case…"

Both Ran and Sonoko looked at each other. "Oto-san, what do you mean you have a date?" Conan opened his door so he could see what was going on.

"W-well, I was just k-kidding…"

Ran smiled. "Oh really? Who was your date?" she asked in hope.

"You got it all –" The telephone started to ring and it spoke a message. Mouri closed his eyes to prepare for what's next.

"Anata!" said the voice that Ran knew too well. "Thank you for inviting me to a date earlier, I loved it. I'm looking forward to the next one. I love you!"

Ran stood up and went to her father. Mouri thought for sure that he would be beaten up so he kept his eyes closed. Conan widened his eyes, and he'll be shocked if she does beat him up. However, it was quite the opposite. Ran pulled her father into a deep hug and whispered. "Oto-san, thank you for taking okaasan out to a date. I love you." Mouri was touched and hugged his daughter back. Conan smiled at the both of them and Sonoko took out her phone and snapped a picture of this rare moment.

'Looks like everything's going well here,' Conan thought.

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here..._**

 ** _"You look stunning."_**

 ** _"Be quiet or they'll hear us!"_**

 ** _"Haibara-san is mine!"_**

 ** _"I'll love you until the day I die."_**

 ** _CHAPTER 11: THE FIRST DATE_**


	11. The First Date

**_Hey guys_** _ **!**_ _ **!**_ _ **! This is the chapter my friends keep persuading me to finish already. I hope you like the romance Conan and Haibara give here. I gave my best to making this as good as possible. And I'm going to tell you all that the first big battle in the story, is near. So be prepared. Please give reviews about this chapter on how you like it or on how could I improve it on future dates between our two heroes. Please follow/fave**_ _ **! Enjoy the first date of Conan and Haibara**_ _ **!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: You've hear this many times...**_

* * *

Conan yawned and rubbed his eyes. He checked his watch to see that it was 8 in the morning. Good thing he didn't wake up late otherwise his first date with Haibara would be ruined. The same thing went for Haibara.

Sitting up from sleeping, she stretched her body for a bit and stood up. She went straight down for breakfast.

They were both excited but were also kind of embarrassed. If they went out with each other, the news will instantly spread to everyone they know and would get teased. However, it wasn't the only reason. The chances that the Black Organization might discover their relationship will ruin their lives.

Conan sat down and slowly ate his breakfast. "Conan-kun, are you excited for your date?" asked Ran.

"Yeah," replied Conan. "Is Kogoro-ojisan still asleep?"

"Of course, he was up late last night, drinking as usual."

Conan decided to take precautions. "Are you planning to spy on us later, Ran-neechan?"

Ran couldn't believe that he would say that. She was planning to do it with Sonoko secretly. She faked a smile and spoke calmly. "Of course not, Conan-kun. You and Ai-chan should have a good time to yourselves."

"Then why is there a camera on your desk?"

"W-what?!"

"I came to your room earlier and I saw a camera on your desk. You're planning to take pictures of me and Ai, aren't you?"

Ran stayed as calm as she could. "That's just for my school stuff, Conan-kun." Ran suddenly took over the questions. "Anyway, why are you asking too much questions, Conan-kun? Shouldn't you be getting ready instead of blabbering? If you don't, you're no better than that detective geek!"

'Oi, oi, I'm not a geek!' thought Conan. 'It's better to ask questions, you know… and it's only 8 in the morning, our date is after lunch… I'm also not a detective geek, you know!' "I'm just curious, Ran-neechan."

"Where are going, by the way?"

"To Tropical Land, Ran-neechan."

Hearing this made Ran think about her "date" with Shinichi, where he disappeared for the first time. She didn't want Conan to do the same with Haibara, which made her more determined to spy on him later on. "That's it?"

"Then we're going out to dinner."

"How sweet. Where are you going to eat?"

Conan flushed but was able to think fast. "Ran-neechan, do you remember the restaurant where Shinichi-neechan asked you out?"

"Yeah, I remember that. How did you know about it?"

"I j-just heard it from Shinichi-neechan. That's where me and Ai are going to have dinner."

"Seriously? I recall that it was an expensive restaurant."

'Oi, oi, how much money do you think I have?' "It's okay, Ran-neechan. Yukiko-obasan left me some money before she left for America again."

"Well, that's good to hear. Now hurry up with your food and plan your whole date. Don't ruin it."

 **Two hours later...**

While Conan was taking a bath that was reaching nearly twenty minutes, Ran spoke with Sonoko through her phone. "Sonoko, he's still taking a bath," said Ran.

"He must be taking this date really seriously," said Sonoko. "You said that it has been twenty minutes since he stepped inside, right?"

"Yeah. So we really need to make sure he and Ai-chan experience the perfect date. Remember the plan?"

"Yeah. Watch them from a distance and support their actions."

"And bring your camera as well."

"What? Why?"

"So we have pictures when they have their wedding."

"They're still kids and your already worrying about their wedding? You're kind of overreacting."

Ran's voice suddenly heightened. "I'm just concerned about Conan-kun, you know! He has been like a real brother to me and I have to help him anyway I can."

"All right, fine. I'll bring my camera."

"See you later. I'm going to talk to Kazuha-chan and see if she can help us with this the next time she visits Tokyo with Hattori-kun."

"While you do that, I'm going to take a bath. Bye."

Ran ended the call and started to dial Kazuha. Thirty minutes has passed since Conan stepped inside the bathroom. Normally, he would only take a bath for ten to fifteen minutes but it looked like he was really taking his date seriously. "Kazuha-chan?"

"Oh, Ran-chan! How have you been?"

"I'm fine. When are you going to visit here?"

"Maybe next week if Heiji wants to. But it will be the week after that if he needs persuasion."

"If you do go here, me and Sonoko need your help."

"With what? With Kudo-kun?"

"No, no, no. I'm done with Shinichi. It's about –"

"What?! What do you mean, Ran-chan?!"

Ran facepalmed and sighed. "Remember the mansion case last week?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"He confessed to me about his true feelings. He said he only loves me like a sister and he doesn't love me like the way I do. He apologized, then I –"

"How dare he hurt you?! I swear, when me and Heiji go back there, I'll find that jerk and beat him up!"

Ran spoke in an angered voice that rivaled Kazuha's. "As I was saying! He apologized, then I forgave him."

"What? Why?"

"At least he was honest about what he feels. But the real reason was he's unlike other boys. Real jerks would really leave without a reason. But Shinichi left because he still loves and cares for me. I remember him telling me he was trying to protect me from someone, or so I heard. Now do you see why I forgave him, Kazuha-chan?"

"Hmph… all right, I'll let the issue go. But punch him in the arm for me, or I'll do it myself. He still hurt you, no matter how hard you try to hide it."

Ran chuckled. 'Shinichi, I better warn you. The next time you return here, there are two angry women out to get you. And believe me, you wouldn't like them when they're angry.' "All right, Sonoko said the same thing as well."

"Now that's settled, why were you asking for help?"

"You see, Conan-kun has a date today."

"Really? Isn't he too young?"

"Age doesn't matter. If you truly love someone, you'll love that person no matter what."

"Right, right. So who's he dating?"

"Ai-chan."

Kazuha's eyes shot open. "That blonde girl who's with him all the time?!"

"Yeah."

"Since when did they get together?"

"I don't know, honestly. Conan-kun just told me about it yesterday. And I need your help in making sure they be together. Next time you visit, you, me, and Sonoko, are gonna plan something to ensure that Conan-kun and Ai-chan will never leave each other."

"Sounds nice. Okay, I'll inform you about when we're going there. So, if there's nothing else you want to talk about, I'll have to go. I'm going with Heiji to his kendo tournament."

"One more thing, Kazuha-chan. You haven't confessed to Hattori-kun yet?"

"Believe me, I'm trying to. I just get lost or forget about it. But, I assure you, Heiji will find out that I like him."

"Bye!"

"Later!"

Ran turned off her cellphone as her dad stopped outside the bathroom door. He rubbed his eyes and turned to Ran. "Is the gaki still inside?" She nodded. "Wake me up when he's done." He walked back to his room and Ran heard him falling to the bed.

The bathroom door opened. 46 minutes and 38 seconds. A lifetime record for Shinichi Kudo in the bathroom. Conan surely took this day seriously. "What took you so long, Conan-kun?"

"Erhm… Ran-neechan I covered myself in soap many times and for three minutes each time. I want to stay as clean as possible for today."

"Then go put on your clothes, I have good news to tell you," said Ran cheerfully.

'Judging by the looks on her face, I can tell it is good news,' Conan thought.

Conan walked into his room and started to put on some powder on his back, armpits, neck, and face. He used a deodorant next and put on his underwear. He combs his hair first before putting on the jeans and polo.

Meanwhile, at Hagase's house, Haibara was also taking the date seriously. She just finished putting on her new clothes that she also bought. A cropped buttoned up yellow blouse and a knee-length gray skirt. She felt a little embarrassed over the fact that her belly could be visibly seen. However, she was in fact trying to seduce Conan when they go out later. And she had her emotionless face to back her up. She picked up the Prada shoulder bag that Mitsuhiko gave her yesterday and filled it with powder, perfume, money, a small mirror, and a fan. She gave herself a final look in the mirror and headed downstairs to read some magazines.

Conan walked out of his room ready to woo some girls. Seriously, his appearance right now would be enough for almost all the girls in his school to have fantasies about him. From his blue polo, to his black jeans, the glasses, and his iconic hair, Haibara was so lucky to have a man like him. "Come here, Conan-kun. I'll tell you the good news."

Conan went in front of Ran. "Kazuha-chan just told me on the phone that she and Hattori-kun would be visiting next week!"

'Hehehe, is that really good news, 'cause it isn't for me.' "I'm looking forward to it, Ran-neechan."

"Are you done with everything you need to do?"

"Hai."

"Then put on your sneakers, and get going. Wouldn't want to make Ai-chan wait a long time now, would we?" The last words Ran spoke made her remember Shinichi. She shakes the thought and focuses on the current scene.

Once Conan put on his sneakers, he was all set to go. "Conan-kun, do you have your money already?" The boy nodded. "Then go on and have fun with Ai-chan, I hope you get together."

"Thank you, Ran-neechan." He then walked out the door.

Now that Conan has left, Ran turned on her phone again and called her best friend. "Sonoko, Conan has left. I'm going to take a bath then let's meet up."

Conan is nearly there to his destination. 'I really hope this date goes well,' he thought. 'Taku, I really wish no cases happen today, I don't want to solve anything. I just want a normal day so that I can focus on Ai.' He reached Hagase's residence and saw that the gate was unlocked. He opened it and made his way to the door.

Conan knocked three times on the door and waited patiently. When the door was opened, Conan may have seen the most beautiful person in his life.

He saw Haibara wearing the cropped yellow blouse with the skirt. She wasn't looking at him, however, and was blushing in embarrassment. But the thing that really made him stood in awe was that her belly could be seen because of her cropped blouse. He thought that her clothes, especially her top, made her look sexy.

Haibara took a secret glance, but that simple look turned into staring when she saw what he was wearing. His clothes made him look hotter, so she figured that a lot of girls would want him, so she must fight for him. His glasses complemented his overall look and he didn't look like a geek. He was never a geek. He was just a bothersome detective.

Conan broke the silence. "You look stunning." Haibara looked away in embarrassment. Conan took a step forward, touched her cheek, and turned her face so that she could focus on him. "Don't be embarrassed. You're really beautiful, Ai."

The feeling of Conan's hand on her sent goosebumps all over her body and Haibara smiled. "Why thank you, Kudo-kun."

Conan pinched her cheek a little bit before letting her go. "Please call me by my name from now on."

"Why?"

"It's kind of weird that I call you by your first name and you call me by last name. I want things to be fair."

"Conan or Shinichi?"

"Call me by my real name only in situations involving the organization. Call me Conan most of the time."

"Sure thing… Conan."

"Now that's settled, let's say goodbye to Hagase." The pair went inside and saw Agasa-hagase typing away at his computer. "Hagase, me and Ai are going out, see you later."

"Have fun, Shinichi-kun, Ai-kun!" said Hagase who did not take his eyes off his computer. Once the pair was walking away, he looked at the both of them and chuckled in his mind. 'Shinichi-kun, be sure to invite me to your wedding!'

The pair stepped out of the gate and headed towards Tropical Land so the date has officially began. Haibara is the first to speak. "Is Tropical Land far from here?"

Conan put both his hands on his pockets and smiled. "Not really. We'll just take a cab then we're there."

Haibara noticed his smile. "You seem to be in a good mood today. Did something happen?"

"Well, the girl beside me now is making me be in a good mood today."

"Very funny," she smirked and punched his shoulder lightly. Conan didn't react nor complain about it. "Seriously, nothing's bothering you? Not even cases?"

"I don't want to think about cases today, I just want a day with you."

"Then me too. I want a normal day just to be with you, Conan."

"Say, where did you get your bag?" asked Conan. "Seems to be new."

"Oh, you mean this?" pointing to her shoulder bag. "Tsubaraya-kun gave this to me yesterday, saying it's a gift from him.

"Oh, no. If Mitsuhiko shows up today, we need to make sure he stops bugging us for good. He's only gonna get himself hurt if he continues with this competition."

"You're right. I'll talk to him face-to-face when we meet."

A few more minutes and they reached the taxi stand. Luckily, a cab went to them in less than a minute. Looks like they really are lucky today. They went inside and Conan said, "Tropical Land" then the cab departed.

"What do you want to ride first there?" asked Conan.

"You pick," replied Haibara.

"Are you sure? Because I have a thing for the extreme."

"Is that a challenge? Oh, I can definitely keep up with you."

"That's one of the things I like about you, you know?" Conan sneaked two fingers and poked her forehead.

"Remember, you have to tell me why you poke my forehead all the time."

'Crap! I thought she forgot about it,' Conan thought. "Later, I promise. You'll know why."

They continued chatting, making them completely forget that a cab was following them. And the passenger was none other than a jealous friend. His eyes narrowed at the cab in front of them. 'Conan-kun, I'll make sure you never have Haibara-san!' Mitsuhiko thought. 'SHE IS MINE!'

Conan and Haibara reached Tropical Land in less than thirty minutes. The boy took a quick look at his watch. "Wow, it's only 12:28 PM. Looks like we have a lot of time to have fun here." Conan put his right arm around her and stopped at her shoulder. "Come on, let's go." Haibara blushed not because her belly was exposed but because of Conan wrapping his arm around her.

They saw the line for the rollercoaster and there wasn't much people. So they went to it. "The rollercoaster already?" asked Haibara.

"There's not much people in line. What's the matter? Scared of heights?"

She immediately answered. "No! I'm just curious."

Once it was their chance to ride, they had to persuade the officials there to let them ride, then they went to the two seats in the middle. The safebars were turned on and Conan spoke. "I'm kind of nervous."

"Look who's talking," said Haibara. "Ten minutes ago you were very confident and now you're being chicken?" She smirked.

"Oi, oi, I said I was nervous, not scared. It's a different thing."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes it is."

The rollercoaster suddenly started to go back wards and their verbal battle was put to a halt. "Why are we going backwards?" asked Haibara.

Conan looked behind him and saw that the track ends at a such a height. "Ai, I think we're going to get a headstart."

"You're kidding!"

"Am not!" Conan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Unconsciously, Haibara holds Conan's hand tightly and closes her eyes as well.

ZOOM! The coaster started to move at a high speed and the pair felt a small pain in the chest since they were moving down, against the wind. They opened their eyes when the speed started to lower a bit. They looked into each other's eyes and laughed…

The whole ride took two minutes and the pair walked out the exit, still laughing at each other. Haibara puts her hands on her hips and smirks at Conan. "So where do you want to go next?"

Conan looked around and searched for anything fun. He saw a giant spinning disk that had ropes attached to it. "Ai, let's go to that disk," said Conan.

Before going there, Conan bought fried noodles for them both. Haibara spoke inside her mind. 'I'm starting to like this date. The rollercoaster was so fun, I want to ride more!'

They saw the entrance to the ride. They saw that the name was "Flying Phantoms". They went to the line and saw a new batch of people was going to ride.

The giant disk had ropes attached to it. And chairs with chains are attached to the ropes. The pair wondered how the ride works until the batch of people sat down on the chairs. Once everyone was in their places, the chairs were suddenly lifted by the disk. The disk then started to rotate clockwise at a stable speed. The ride itself made Conan and Haibara more excited. "I like this ride!" said Haibara.

"Me too! I can't wait to sit in those chairs!" exclaimed Conan.

The line took ten minutes before they could have their turn. They sat on two chairs that were connected and fastened the seatbelts with it. Then they waited for the best part.

The chairs rose into the air and the disk started spinning. Conan and Haibara laughed and brought their cheeks together. "I'm the king of the world!" screamed Conan.

"Woooo!" yelled Haibara. Conan noticed that she hasn't been this happy since the day they met. He could tell that she was really enjoying every moment of their date.

After 10 full rotations, the disk slowed down until they stopped. The pair took the seatbelts off and walked out the exit. "Conan, this has got to be my most favorite ride here," said Haibara.

"Yeah, you said it. It was so fun."

"So where do you want to go next?"

"The Ferris wheel."

They walked to the huge Ferris wheel that could be comparable to a five-floor building in terms of height. Haibara flinched a little bit upon seeing the height but Conan ruffles her hair to calm her down. "Don't worry, Ai. I'm here for you." Haibara smiled.

They fell in line and after twenty minutes, they walked inside their capsule. Haibara closed her eyes as the Ferris wheel started moving. But Conan calms her down. "Ai, look at me."

She opens her eyes. "What is it?"

"Are you afraid of heights?"

"Yes, yes, happy?!"

"I'm not a psychiatrist but I think you should stop worrying about it. Just imagine that you're in your room, sitting on your bed. I won't deny that I'm afraid as well, but look at me. I'm calm. Trust me."

Haibara looks down. "I trust you." She took a deep breath.

Conan realizes that this is his chance to make her forget about the altitude they were in. "I'm going to ask you something."

"What?"

"When you finish the antidote, will you take it too?"

"I think not."

"Why?"

"Because Shiho Miyano is alone. She has no family, friends, no one. However, Ai Haibara has the Hagase, the Detective Boys, and you."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Then so am I. I'm not taking the antidote either."

"Don't you want your old life back? Don't you want to be Kudo Shinichi again?"

"Of course I want to. But if it means losing you, then I'm not giving it a chance. And besides, being a kid had its perks."

"Very well. I'll clear all the data about the antidote when we go home."

"Thanks, Ai." He poked her forehead.

"Answer me now, why do you poke my forehead?"

Conan sighed. "All right, I'll tell you. My reason for doing it is simple. It's because I care for you."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, got a problem?"

"No, no."

Their trip to Tropical Land lasted from 12:28 until 5:17. Aside from the first three rides, they tried out others. Like the bumper cars and Pirate pendulum. They walked out of the park holding hands.

"I really had fun today, Conan. Thank you."

"My pleasure. Now let's have dinner, I'm starving." Conan suddenly heard something brushing in the bushes near the trees. "Who's out there?!" he yelled to no response.

"What is it, Conan?" asked Haibara.

"I'm getting the feeling that we're being watched."

"Really? Then let's get out of here." The pair then continued walking.

 **In the bushes…**

"Ran, that was too close!" said Sonoko.

"Ssshhh! Be quiet or they'll hear us!" whispered Ran.

"Do you still want to follow them?"

"Of course. Come on before they get too far."

 **Back to the couple…**

The pair stopped suddenly in their tracks when they saw a familiar figure standing in front of them. The person was glaring and his fists were clenched. "Mitsuhiko?" asked Conan.

"Hey, Conan-kun," said Mitsuhiko. "Do you mind if I borrow Haibara-san for a while?"

"Why?"

"I just need to talk to her."

"O-okay."

"Thanks." Mitshuiko walked to Haibara. "Haibara-san, do you want to have dinner with me at a restaurant tonight?"

Conan realized Mitsuhiko's true intentions when he heard what he said. "Mitsuhiko, me and Ai –"

"Stay back, Conan-kun! Haibara-san is mine!" Mitsuhiko covered Haibara with his body, preventing Conan from getting to her.

"Stand down, Mitsuhiko. You're my friend, and I don't want to hurt you." Haibara looked on, helpless to do anything.

"I don't think I can consider you my friend anymore, Conan-kun. After you took Haibara-san away from me!"

"Are you saying you like Ai?"

"Yes. And I won't let you take her away from –"

"Mitsuhiko-kun!"

Mitsuhiko turned around and tears threatened to flow from his eyes. Haibara just called him by his first name. "Haibara-san?"

"I can't go out with you, Tsubaraya-kun."

"W-why?" Mitsuhiko began to sniffle.

'Tsk. Why would I go out with someone who's ten years younger than me?' Haibara thought. "I'm just not the right girl for you. And even if you do get me, my heart will always be loyal to Conan. You'll just get hurt more."

Tears started to flow from Mitsuhiko's eyes. Ran and Sonoko took pictures from afar. Mitsuhiko knelt and punched the ground with his fists. "Why? Why? Why? I lost?! This can't be happening!"

Haibara knelt as well and faced him. "It's better this way, Tsubaraya-kun. And from what I recall, Conan told me you like Yoshida-san. You should be with her instead."

Mitsuhiko wiped his tears with his shirt and sniffled. "Hey," said Conan. He stretched his hand and Mitsuhiko grabbed it. Conan pulled him up. "No hard feelings, right?" Conan stretched his hand once again as a sign of reconciliation.

"I'm sorry Conan-kun, Haibara-san. I really am. Please forgive me."

"It's okay," said Conan. "It was just a misunderstanding."

Mitsuhiko left them and walked inside Tropical Land, wanting to forget about the dreadful scene earlier. A familiar voice called out to him. "Mitsuhiko-kun, is that you?"

Mitsuhiko turned to the person who was speaking. "Ayumi-chan? What are you doing here?"

"My dad brought me here. How about you?"

 _"You should be with her instead,"_ said Haibara in his thoughts. "Ayumi-chan, perfect timing! I needed to talk to you, you know…"

Meanwhile, Conan and Haibara went inside the cab. "Where are we going to have dinner, Conan?"

"Somewhere in Haido district."

It took them thirty minutes to get to Haido district. Conan led her to the restaurant where his father proposed to his mother. Conan told the waiter "Table for two". The waiter wondered why two kids would be having dinner at such an expensive restaurant but agreed to them, nonetheless.

They sat down on their table and checked the menu. Haibara noticed some interesting meals. "They have American food here?" asked Haibara.

"Yeah, orderin' some?" replied Conan.

"I'll have Chicken Parmigianino with onion rings."

"Nice taste you have, Ai." The waiter went back to them.

"You kids, what will you have?"

"I'll have Chicken Parmigianino with onion rings," said Haibara.

"Good choice, you young sir?"

"Katsudon with fried noodles," said Conan.

"Any drinks?"

"Just water," said Conan.

"I'll be back with your food." 'Do those two have enough money?' the waiter thought. 'The food they ordered are one of the most expensive food here.'

After ten minutes, the waiter went back with their food. They enjoyed every second of eating because the food was delicious and then Haibara spoke. "I love you, Conan. Thank you for giving me a good time today."

"I'll love you until the day I die," said Conan. Haibara placed her hand on the table and Conan put his hand on top of her.

Ran and Sonoko were touched with their moment. Ran remembered her moment with Shinichi in this place. They watched them from another table and took pictures of them.

Meanwhile, a dragon-coated man was calling someone through his phone. "This is Ryujin. I now know where the target resides. When shall we execute the plan?"

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here..._**

 ** _"Kudo, who's this guy?"_**

 ** _"You really want to be a detective?"_**

 ** _"It's not nice to run away, you know..."_**

 ** _"What do you know about the Dragon Syndicate?_** _ **!"**_

 ** _CHAPTER 12: FINDING CLUES_**


	12. Finding Clues

**_Guys! Thank god I picked up a connection here. It's hard to find one in provinces. In this chapter, Kaito and Heiji meet for the first time and un unexpected series of events will lead to a turning point in this story. Also, I'm calling Haibara by her first name, Ai for the rest of the story. Thanks for the reviews and see you later!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: Do I have to repeat myself?_**

* * *

"Execute the plan once the coast is clear. Tell your men to continue spying on them. Once the target is alone, go for it. "

"Understood," replied Ryujin.

Conan paid the bill for their food and decided to accompany Ai back home. He had never experienced such an event before. Not to mention they both love each other.

Meanwhile, still watching on from another table were Ran and Sonoko. They squealed in happiness with all the photos they took. "Look at the both of them! They are so made for each other!" said Sonoko.

"I know," said Ran. "It's a good thing we brought two cameras. If we brought only one, it couldn't contain all the pictures we took."

"You know, we should delete some unnecessary pictures, like the one with their friend breaking down. It's kinda harsh to even see it."

"No problem." Ran deleted five pictures of the scene where Mitsuhiko broke down in tears after Ai confronted him about his feelings. "We should stop following them, it's been a long day. Let's just head home."

"You're right, I'm getting kinda sleepy." The two teen girls waited for Conan and Ai to leave, then they left as well.

As the couple were walking back to Hagase's home, they discussed some final things before bidding farewell for the night. "Ai, I think it'd be better if you smile all the time," said Conan.

"What do you mean?" asked Ai.

"Your emotionless mask sometimes gives me the creeps or confuses me about what you truly feel. I just want you to express your feelings openly and if you're happy, then give the biggest smile you could give."

Ai closed her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "I won't say all the time… but I'll try."

"Good for you." Conan wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "I love you, my little Ice Queen."

"And I love you, my great detective."

Once they reached Hagase's residence, Conan knew it was the time to say goodbye. "See you at school tomorrow. Don't be late."

"I'm never late, and I should be the one saying that." Conan waved his arm and walked away towards the agency.

Before Ai could lay a hand on the gate. A handkerchief was placed over her mouth. She inhaled and the hanky brought her a scent she was too familiar with: the scent of chloroform. She knew she only had a few seconds left before passing out, so she reaches her right arm out to a walking Conan, who was still not far. The man holding the hanky grabbed her arm and whispered, "You won't be able to make your boyfriend come and help you…"

In about five seconds, she would pass out. Using her other arm, she grasps the man's hair tightly, but he endured the pain. Her vision began to fade. She thought to herself mere seconds before going out cold, 'Oh, he'll come and help me. He just needs to examine the hair I got from you. Whoever you are, you won't get away with this!' Her vision completely darkened as she passed out.

The man carried her to the passenger seat of his car not too far away. His companion was waiting for him. "Wani, did anyone see you?"

"I'm sure that nobody saw me taking the girl away, Ryujin."

"Then drive us back to HQ. We'll get the boy soon." The man called Wani powered up the car and drove off.

 **The Next Day...**

"So, did you enjoy your date, Conan-kun?" asked Ran.

"Hai," replied Conan. "Me and Ai had so much fun together."

"But Conan-kun, you must remember that it's school first before relationships. You need to focus on your studies first."

'Oi, oi, how smart do you think I am?' Conan thought. "Of course, Ran-neechan!"

When they reached Conan's school, Ran bids farewell and leaves. The boy checked his watch and it was ten minutes before 8. He went inside and headed to his room. The first thing that caught his attention was Mitsuhiko wrapping his arm around Ayumi, and Genta was chatting with them. "You three," said Conan. His three friends turned to him. "What are you doing?"

"Conan-kun!" squeaked Ayumi. She walked over to Conan. "We were just talking about my trip to Tropical Land yesterday."

'She was there?! Why didn't we see her?' Mitsuhiko then followed her and ruffled her hair as he chuckled.

"Mitsuhiko, you're not angry anymore?"

"By all rights, you should be the one who's angry," said Mitsuhiko. "I'm really sorry about it. I was being obsessed with Haibara-san. I'm really lucky to have a friend like you."

Conan smiled. "So is there something going on between you and Ayumi-chan? You two have been really sweet to each other."

"Oh, I'm glad you asked. You see, after what happened between us yesterday, I went inside Tropical Land and I saw Ayumi-chan. I remembered Haibara-san's words about her so I talked to her. And I'm sure that you know what happens next."

"Genta knows about it?"

"Yeah," said Genta. "Mitsuhiko just told me." Just then, Kobayashi-sensei walked inside the room. All the children went back to their respective seats.

The first thing she did was check the attendance. As she called a name, the student would state that they're present. "Edogawa Conan!" she called.

"Here!" said Conan cheerfully.

She marked Conan's attendance as "Present" for the day. "Haibara Ai!" Suddenly, silence took over the entire room.

Everyone looked around them but there wasn't a Haibara Ai around. Kobayashi-sensei spoke in a sad voice. "So Haibara-san isn't here, strange… she's never been absent before." Against her will, she marked Ai's attendance as "Absent".

Conan thought deeply and looked at Ai's empty seat beside him. 'What happened to her? Well, I don't think it's anything serious. She just either caught a cold or reminiscing about what happened yesterday.'

Conan walked back home and opened the door. Two girls looking at a single phone turned their attention to him. "Look who it is. The young prince has finally returned."

"Kazuha-neechan?" asked Conan.

"Conan-kun!" said Ran. "Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan will be staying with us for the next three days."

'Three days?' Conan thought. 'There's something fishy going on around here.' "If Kazuha-neechan is here, where's Heiji-neechan?"

"Oh, he's upstairs. I think he just put oto-san to sleep because he kept on bugging Hattori-kun that the reason they visited was because of a case."

'So occhan also thought of that as well? Looks like Hattori doesn't want to tell him. He'll just tell me about it instead.' "Then, Ran-neechan, I'm going to greet him."

"Me and Kazuha are going up as well after we finish viewing these pictures." Conan closed the door and headed upstairs.

"I have to admit, they're perfect for each other," said Kazuha after Ran showed her the picture when Conan and Ai.

"I know, seeing the two of them together reminds me of you and Hattori-kun," said Ran.

"Enough with that. So what plan do you have?"

Conan opened the door and saw Heiji reading, what seems to be, one of Conan's books. The boy quickly took it away from him. Heiji raised and eyebrow on him. "Oh, Kudo, what's your problem?"

"You could've asked for permission before reading my books!" exclaimed Conan.

Heiji sweat-dropped. "I'm sorry, I thought you didn't mind! And besides, I was bored."

"Forgotten. So why are you really here. Is there a case?"

"No. Me and Kazuha went here to visit you, that's all."

Conan narrowed his eyes. "Okay, stop playing games. I know there's a case and you need my help."

Heiji groaned. "I told you there is no case."

"Oh yeah? You've been coming here to Tokyo for the past months because of mystery cases and now you go here saying there's no case."

"What's your problem? Is there something wrong with visiting your best friend?"

"Nothing."

"See? We're just here to visit you, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Fine, fine, I get it."

"So, how did your date go?"

"It was okay, but I think I could've done better."

"Don't worry, I think you did good. That little girl surely loved every second of it."

"So how long are you really staying?"

"I'd say three days. Kazuha wants to hang out with Ran-chan so badly."

Afterwards, Ran and Kazuha went inside. They cooked their dinner and everyone brushed their pearly whites and went to sleep.

 **The Following Morning...**

"What do you mean Ai-chan didn't go to school yesterday?" asked Ran. "Is she sick or something?"

"I don't know, Ran-neechan," answered Conan. "If she doesn't show up today, then I'm calling Hagase when I go home. I'm starting to get worried about her."

"Conan-kun, that's sweet of you. I do hope she's all right."

Ran waved her hand goodbye when they reached Teitan Primary School. Conan went inside his room with five minutes to spare. However, Ai Haibara was nowhere to be found. He went to his three friends, who were talking to each other. "Ai's still not around?" he asked them all.

"We should be the one asking you that, Conan-kun," said Mitsuhiko. "Of all people, it's you who'd know where she is."

"Well, my guess is she's at home. But I'm not sure if she's really there. I'll call Hagase later on and maybe he can inform me of her whereabouts."

A normal school day passed and Conan went home with a sad face. He put his bag in his room and sat on the couch. His best friend, who was sitting on the other couch noticed his face and he wasn't used to it. He'd always see Conan with his signature smirk, but today was different. "Kudo, something bothering you?" he asked.

"Ai didn't show up today at school," Conan replied.

"If it's only today, why do you look so down?"

"Yesterday as well. But it's all right. I'll talk to Hagase later. Anyways, where's Ran and Kazuha-chan? I didn't see them downstairs."

"Oh, they went to the supermarket with ochan to buy dinner. Do you want to go downstairs?"

"Why?"

"Nothing, it's just… don't you want to get some fresh air?"

"Maybe you're right. I need to calm down from thinking of bad things. Let's go."

The two went downstairs, outside Café Poirot. They stood there and just watched the cars go by. Heiji destroyed the silence by speaking first. "When are you going to call?"

"I think before 5."

Heiji then gulped. "About me and Kazuha, when do you think should I confess to her?"

Conan faced him. "Hattori, I'm not a love guru, but here's what I can say. Admit to her that you like her when you fully considered your feelings."

"Okay, thanks, Ku –"

"Hey, tantei-kun!" a voice yelled.

Conan and Heiji turned to whoever was speaking. Heiji's eyes widened as he was shocked by what's happening. 'This here's Kudo,' he thought, referring to Conan. 'And that's Kudo?!' referring to the guy who went to them. Heiji rubbed his eyes to check if he was dreaming or not. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't dreaming.

The person who Heiji was thinking about is none other than Kudo Shinichi's "twin", Kuroba Kaito. Heiji regained himself and wanted to know if he was being played all along. "Kudo, why didn't you tell me you grew again?" he asked. Kaito and Conan looked at him in confusion.

"Why were you joking with me? You even got your girlfriend here to disguise as Conan. Why did you do it?"

Conan raised an eyebrow. "Ha-Hattori, what are you talking about?"

Heiji heightened his voice a bit. "I'll talk to you later, little girl. I have a few things to discuss with your boyfriend here." Conan now knew what the heck he was talking about. He sneaked a few laughs to himself.

Heiji was now directly in front of Kaito. "Answer me, Kudo. And you even got a new hairstyle? Doesn't suit you."

It was a while, but Kaito managed to say a few things. "If you're talking about Kudo Shinichi, the detective, he's right there." He pointed to where Conan was. "And even if I do look like him, we're still different."

Heiji's eyes widened and turned to Conan. "Kudo, who's this guy?"

Conan went between them and started to properly introduce them to each other. "Hattori, this is Kuroba Kaito. And Kaito, this is Hattori Heiji." Kaito offered a handshake and Heiji accepted it. "So what are you doing here, Kaito?"

"I got terrible news."

Conan's eyes widened. "Why? What happened?"

"The Pandora gem has been destroyed."

"What?! What happened?"

"Well, during my latest heist I finally found the gem, until Spider and Snake came to fight for it. The gem shattered in our battle. I barely managed to escape when more backup came for them."

Conan put his hand on his chin. "The good news is they won't get their hands on the gem anymore. And the bad news is that the gem was destroyed and not in our hands."

Heiji interrupted their conversation. "Woah, woah, woah! What are you talking about? Heists, gems, Spider, Snake, how do they all connect?"

"I'll tell you, Hattori. But we need to get inside." The trio went back to the agency and they sat on the couch. "Hattori, have you ever heard of 'Kaitou Kid'?"

Heiji scratched his hair. "The thief who's been stealing gems and returning them?"

"Yeah. And guess what? Kaitou Kid is here with us right now."

Heiji's eyes shot open and he stood up. "Are you out of your mind, Kudo?! Why in the world are you friends with a thief?"

Kaito and Conan sweat-dropped. "Ha-Hattori, c-c-calm down. Kaito will explain why he steals." With that, Heiji sat down back on the couch."

Kaito spoke. "Heiji-kun, oyaji was murdered when I was a kid. He was the original Kid until his death. I swore to avenge his death and I heard that the ones who killed him were after a gem called 'Pandora'. It was said to have the power of immortality and it could only be activated when it is held up to the moonlight. I took up the role of Kid to find the gem. If a particular gem I took wasn't Pandora, I'll return it."

"Well, that explains why you became Kid, but what does Kudo have to do with this?"

"During one of my latest heists, we both found out that our enemies were the same. Spider and Snake, who were the ones responsible for oyaji's death, were members of the Black Organization. So do you understand me now?" Heiji nodded.

Then, the sound of footsteps could be heard outside. "Crap! Kuroba, the people here with us are coming!"

"I guess you have to properly introduce me, I can't hide and escape here."

"No problem, Kudo will –"

Conan cut him off. "Hattori, you do it. I need to call Hagase about Ai."

"You must be kidding."

"It'll be easy for you since you're my best friend. And besides, it'll sound much more normal if you be the one to introduce him than me."

Heiji sighed. "Fine, but you owe me."

"All right." Conan went straight to the phone as Ran, Kazuha, and Mouri went inside. When they first looked at Kaito, they thought it was Shinichi.

Heiji noticed that they must be suspecting if Kaito was Shinichi so he stopped the accusations early on. "This person isn't Kudo if you're thinking about it, he just looks like him."

While Heiji was busy, Conan called Hagase. "Hagase, you there?" he asked.

"Oh, Shinichi-kun, I'm glad you called."

"Hagase, is Ai there?"

"Actually, I'm the one who should be asking you that."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Ai-kun hasn't come home for two days, so I figured she must be staying with you since you're her boyfriend."

"No, she wasn't staying with me. In fact, I left her at your gate after our date."

"Then maybe she was kidnapped."

'Please no,' Conan thought. "If so, did you see any cars pass by your house?"

"Well, if I remember, I only saw some blue and black cars."

'Black?! Oh no!' "Hang on, Hagase, I'll be right there! I'll investigate!" Conan put down the phone and ran straight outside. Heiji and Kaito saw him and ran after him. Ran started to follow as well, but Mouri puts and arm on her shoulder and shook his head.

Conan ran straight to Hagase's home and started to observe everything around him. "Kudo!" Heiji called out. Him and Kaito were panting. "Care to explain to us why you ran all the way here without saying anything."

"Ai was kidnapped." Heiji's eyes widened. "I left her here after our date and the guys who took her were really quiet so I couldn't hear them."

"Excuse me, who's Ai?" asked Kaito.

"His girlfriend," answered Heiji.

"Now, Hagase said that he saw some blue and black cars pass by."

"Shinichi, don't you think –"

"Let's not jump to conclusions. Remember, we have two enemy syndicates and we don't know which one of them took her. But there's got to be some sort of clue here."

"Kudo, check the gate if it has fingerprints." Conan nodded and brought out his magnifying glass. He started to examine the gate.

"What is that?" Kaito whispered.

"It's a magnifying glass that can figure out if there are fingerprints on an object," Heiji whispered back.

"Wow, I'm kind of jealous. I never had gadgets like that during my heists."

"Yeah, me too."

Conan turned to them and shook his head. "She must have been captured before she could lay a finger on the gate. Conan turned to look at the gate again, then looked down to think. He saw something stuck underneath the gate. He pushed the gate open and took out a handkerchief. It was hair. Black hair. He took it up and showed it to his friends. "Look at this. This hair obviously doesn't belong to Ai nor Hagase."

"Could be the kidnappers," said Heiji. "We should get this tested at the nearest station." Conan and Kaito nodded and walked to the station.

They were lucky that the forensic scientists there weren't busy, so the trio got them to examine the hair they found. While waiting, the three friends discussed a few things. "Hey Kaito, what are you going to do now that the Pandora gem is gone?" asked Conan.

"Because the gem is gone, there's no reason for me to be Kaitou Kid any longer. Like I said when you called, I'm going to retire as a magician and be a detective instead."

"You really want to be a detective?"

"I'm a man of my word."

"That's great!" exclaimed Heiji. "Now we can solve cases thrice as fast. But are you smart enough to be one?"

"I'm one of the top students in my class, you know."

Heiji chuckled, and at the same time, his phone rang. "Excuse me for a minute. Kazuha's calling me." He went away from the two for a while.

A few minutes later, a scientist came out of ths testing room. The trio of detectives went to him. "How did it go?" asked Heiji.

"Here are the results." He handed Heiji a green envelope. "I haven't looked at it. Now if there's nothing else, I have other important matters to take care of." The scientist left them and the three looked at the results.

"Uchida Jiro," said Kaito. "Birthdate, September 17, 1967."

"Guys, I have a plan," said Conan.

"What is it, Kudo?"

"Since me and Ai are the targets of the BO, they'll capture me next. I'm going to explore the streets alone to lure out members, but stay at a distance behind me. Make sure you can't be seen. When someone grabs hold of me, now's your chance to get him. Whether it's someone from the Black Organization or the Dragon Syndicate, let's roll with it. Any member of them should know vital information. You both got that?" Heiji and Kaito nodded. "Then let's go."

A few minutes after splitting up, Conan went through a dark alley and looked left and right for anyone suspicious. When he got out, he crossed the street into another alleyway. Heiji and Kaito watched him from the garbage cans. They saw a car parking near the alleyway where Conan was. "Think it may be them?" asked Heiji.

"I think so," replied Kaito. "Come on, let's move." They went to the end of the alley and saw a man dressed in black was walking towards the path Conan took. "I knew it. He's one of them. Let's behind his car."

They crossed the street and quickly hid themselves behind the man's car. When the coast was clear, they went through the alley.

Conan realized that the alley he walked through led to the park. He saw a bench and was thinking of sitting down and think, but then a hand covered his mouth. With the corner of his eye, he saw the man wearing sunglasses. 'Vodka?!' he thought.

"Who would've thought that I'd find you here so easy?" he whispered. I was expecting that it'll take long before I capture you, but Kami made it so easy. After I bring you back to HQ, I'll kill the girl and make you suffer bit by bit."

A streetlight behind him turned on. "There's two things wrong with your statement," said a voice. "One, you won't be taking him back to your HQ, and second, you're not killing any girls."

The man turned around and looked at who was talking. "Who the hell are you?!" he demanded.

"Heh. You may call me… the 'Great Detective of the West'."

"D-detective?!" 'I better get out of here,' he thought. 'I'll get the boy some other time.' He tried to run away from Heiji Hattori through the opposite direction, but another streetlight turned on. Then another voice spoke.

"It's not nice to run away, you know…" Kaito Kuroba looked at him in the eye and the man realized he was cornered. Seeing no other option, the man pulled out a pistol from his jacket.

"I wasn't planning to kill someone tonight, but you two were interfering with my plans. If one of you moves, I'll kill the other." Heiji and Kaito just stared at him and afterwards, another voice spoke.

"That won't be possible…" The voiced seemed to come from behind so the man looked behind him. Before he could get a glimpse, Conan inflated a soccer ball with his belt. "When you taste this!" He powered up his shoes and kicked it towards the man's face, hitting him square on the jaw and knocking him out. The man fell to the ground.

"I already called the police," said Kaito. "They should be here after a few minutes."

"That reminds me," said Conan. "Kaito, shouldn't you be getting home right now? It's really late and it's hard to get back to your home."

"I'll call my butler and ask him to deliver me some clothes. I think I'm going to stay here at Tokyo for a while. Things are starting to get really interesting here."

"All right, but you're not staying with us. Our agency's full of people."

"No need. I have an aunt and uncle living nearby. I'll stay there."

The police came along with Mouri, Ran, and Kazuha. The three of them received smacks to the head by Mouri. "You three idiots!" he yelled. "You made us worry so much!"

Inspector Megure went to Heiji. "Did that man try to kidnap Conan-kun?" he pointed to the guy who was now inside a police car. Heiji nodded. "You three, you're coming with us," he referred to Heiji, Conan, and Kaito. "Since you three were the witnesses, we'll need your help in interrogating him. Mouri-kun, we'll need you as well."

Mouri turned to Ran. "Take care of the house until we get back," he said.

"Hai," replied Ran.

The four went inside another police car and they drove off to the station.

The man woke up in a small room with his hands tied to the chair he was sitting on. "Where am I?!" he cried.

Heiji, Conan, and Shinichi entered the room through the door. "Feeling comfortable?" asked Conan. Kaito showed the man his own ID and Conan continued. "Uchida Jiro-san a.k.a. Wani?"

"What are you going to do me?"

Heiji spoke. "Let's start with this. What do you know about the Dragon Syndicate?! If you cooperate, we swear to protect you from your other comrades. But if you don't, we'll just let the police deal with you."

"Please, no! I-I'll talk! Listen, I-I don't know much since I'm a new member, b-but the mission given to me by my senior is to capture t-that boy," he pointed to Conan. "And the girl he's w-with."

"Who is your senior?" asked Kaito.

"I don't k-know his real n-name, but he is k-known throughout our organization as Ryujin."

The memory of Ryujin meeting Tequila at the volcano in Hawaii popped inside Conan's said. He suddenly grabbed Jiro-san/Wani's shirt and screamed. "Where is the girl?! Where is she?!"

"S-she's at HQ r-right now. S-she's scheduled to be delivered to the Black Organization this c-coming Saturday." Conan let go of him.

"Where is your HQ?" asked Kaito.

"An abandoned building in Osaka."

Heiji heard enough and talked to Megure through his phone. "Keibu, did you get all of that?"

"Yes, Hattori-kun. Ask him more about the syndicate. I'll call your father and inform him of this matter."

Heiji hung up and spoke again. "Is that all you know?"

"Yes, yes. Please p-protect me from my c-comrades. Sooner or l-later they're going to find and k-kill me for betraying them."

Conan answered him. "We won't let you be killed. You can trust on the police. But, you still need to pay for what you've done."

Fifteen minutes later, Inspector Megure sent all of them home. Kaito looked at his phone and spoke. "Guys, looks like my clothes have arrived at my uncle's house. I'll see you all tomorrow when we go to Osaka!" He waved his hand farewell and separated from them.

"Take care!" Heiji yelled. "So, it looks like you'll all be the one visiting us now. Let's go home and get some sleep, it's nearly 1 in the morning and Osaka's waiting for us tomorrow!"

"Yeah, yeah," said Mouri. "Taku, why do we have to go as well? I'll miss Yoko-chan's concert tomorrow!"

Conan chuckled in his mind. "Heheh. The downfall of a dangerous group is better that an old man watching his idol…'

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here..._**

 ** _"There are so many abandoned buildings here."_**

 ** _"We need to sneak past them."_**

 ** _"We're under attack!"_**

 ** _"Any ideas on where could we find Ai?"_**

 ** _CHAPTER 13: DOWNFALL OF THE DRAGONS, PART 1_**


	13. Downfall of the Dragons, Part 1

**_Guess who's back?! The main highlight of this chapter is not the incoming battle, but rather the introduction of a new character. You'll know who he/she is when you read. The next chapter will test my imagination skills and school's on Monday. I'll be back, guys!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: If I owned DC, I'll make Conan choose Haibara... :(_**

* * *

Heiji was the first one to wake up. He washed his face and woke up Ran next so that she could prepare breakfast. It was 7:54 and it was pretty unusual for Heiji to wake up that early. Kazuha was always the energetic one between the two of them, and it was even more surprising since last night's encounter with a member of the Dragon Syndicate. He brought out his ringing phone and answered a call. "Who's this?" he asked.

"Heiji, when you get back here, we need to talk," replied a familiar voice.

"Oyaji? Are you angry that I got careless again because of what happened last night?"

"No. Do you want me to be?"

"Of course not."

"When you get back here, I need you and Mouri-san's help in creating a plan to take down the Dragon Syndicate. I've sent out some men to investigate all of the abandoned buildings here, and hopefully, we take them down for good."

"I'm bringing along a friend."

"Are you talking about that kid with glasses?"

"No, it's already obvious that he'll come. I'll bring with me a fellow detective. His name is Kuroba Kaito."

"Hmmm… fine. The more brains, the better. We need to take down that syndicate for good. I've just found out that children are being kidnapped everywhere here. We suspect them to be behind it."

'Kudo's girlfriend might be among those children!' Heiji thought. 'That's just great. More people to rescue. Isn't one enough? We're facing a dangerous organization here.' "You know, oyaji. A friend of the kid here has been also taken by them."

"I won't guarantee his/her full safety, but we'll do our best. I'll be expecting you all by sundown. Time is running."

"Goodbye." Heiji ended the call and woke up his best friend that was sleeping beside him. "Kudo, wake up. Don't wanna be late in our trip to Osaka now, do we? We still need to rescue your girlfriend." To his uttermost surprise, Conan performed a kip-up that got him out of bed instantly. 'Since when did he learn to do that?'

Conan faced him. "Her name is Haibara Ai. But you can call her by her real name. Miyano Shiho."

"I… I think I prefer… Shiho."

Conan walked to the door and smirked at his best friend. "Now, who's the one still at bed?" He went out and Heiji chuckled.

'He must be really determined on getting her back.' He brought out his phone and dialed Kaito. During their little adventure yesterday, Kaito gave his phone number to both Kaito and Conan so they could keep in touch. "Kuroba, you there?"

"Oh, Heiji-kun," replied Kaito. "I was just eating breakfast."

Heiji sighed. "Drop the 'kun', I don't like getting called with that honorific by fellow teen boys."

"Alright. So what's on your mind?"

"What time are you going here?"

"I think before 9, I'm kind of slow in taking a bath, so that'll consume my time."

"We'll be waiting." Heiji ended the call and went out the bedroom. He saw that Ran had already prepared breakfast and Conan was already eating at the table. He went to Ran's bedroom next so he could wake Kazuha next.

He went inside, closed the door and locked it. He sat on a chair beside the bed and gazed at the sleeping Kazuha. He tapped her shoulder a few times and began to speak. 'I don't care if she's asleep, I'll say it so that next time, I could do it without hesitation.' "Kazuha, I think it's time I tell you the truth. We've been friends since we were kids, but I always thought that we could be more than that."

Heiji brushed her hair off her eyes. "I don't know if you feel the same way, but always know this. I will never let you get hurt no matter what. And that's why I held on to you when you almost fell back at the Isle of Mermaids. Even though you're hot-headed, arrogant, and aggressive sometimes, I will always love you, Kazuha."

Heiji's eyes widened and blushed heavily when he saw Kazuha immediately sat up and faced him. "Is that true, Heiji?" she asked.

Heiji looked away in embarrassment and answered. "Y-yeah…"

"I love you too!" Heiji turned back to her as she captured his lips in a deep and passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and straddled his lap. Heiji could only hope that Kazuha wouldn't notice the bulge that was growing in his pants. The entire kiss lasted for nearly thirty seconds until they pulled away and both panted in exhaustion.

"We should keep this to ourselves for now, I don't want Kudo or Ran-chan teasing us."

"I know. Come on, let's go out and eat." When they got out, Mouri, Ran, and Conan had wide eyes on there faces.

Heiji immediately took action. "Is something wrong?"

"What took you both so long?" asked Ran.

"Umm… well, you see Kazuha here almost needed a bucket of water splashed on her face to wake her up. Am I right, Kazuha?" He elbowed her slightly and she chuckled a bit.

"I'm sorry, I was just having a good dream and I almost never wanted to wake up…"

'I can tell that both of you are lying…' Conan spoke in his thoughts. 'Don't worry, Hattori. I won't ask… yet.'

"Well, sit down and eat," said Ran. "We're going to your home, remember?"

"Oh, that's right," said Heiji. "Oyaji said to be at home before sundown. He needs to talk to me, ochan, and Kaito as soon as possible."

"Kuroba-kun is coming with us?"

"Yeah, he said so himself."

Heiji and Kazuha sat down and eat breakfast. Meanwhile Kaito was already walking to the agency. He brought a medium-size knapsack that had 4 pairs of clothes. He also brought along a few of the gadgets he used while he was Kaitou Kid. Along the way, his phone rang and he answered the call. His ears couldn't contain the scream that was coming out of the speaker. "KAITO! Where the hell are you?! I came to your house yesterday and you weren't there, I also went right now and you're still not there!"

"I'm sorry, Aoko. I'm visiting a friend."

"Why can't I come along?!"

'It's too dangerous for you to tag along,' Kaito thought. "Don't worry, I'll be back in maybe three days. Me and my friend have a lot to talk about…"

Conan and the others have finished packing up their things and the last thing on their checklist was locking everything up. They let Mouri do the job and everyone else walked to the outside. There, they saw Kaito, who was still talking to Aoko on his phone. "For the hundredth time Aoko, you can't come along!" he screamed.

"Come on, pleeeaaaassseee?"

"Stop it. No means no."

"Kuroba-kun, who are you talking to?" asked Kazuha.

Kaito turned to see who was talking and saw that his companions were already there. He decided to end the call. "Sorry Aoko, but I've gotta get going."

"No, please wa –" The final words were cut off when Kaito hung up.

"Kuroba-kun, I'm asking you. Who were you talking to?" Kazuha asked again, slightly irritated.

"Oh I'm sorry, that was just… my girlfriend."

"Wow, you have a girlfriend?!" said Ran. Kaito nodded. "Do you have a picture of her? I want to see what she looks like!" Kaito opened his gallery and picked a solo picture of Aoko then showed it to the two girls. The two of them raised an eyebrow upon seeing the photo.

"Wait, she looks like you, Ran-chan."

"Hey, you're right. Well my hair is slightly different."

"So now Kuroba-kun not only looks like Kudo-kun, his girlfriend looks like you as well."

Kaito walked over to where Conan and Heiji were and sighed. "Sorry about that," he said. "Aoko kept asking if she could come along."

"No worries," said Heiji.

"So how are we going to Osaka?"

"Take the train, duh." Mouri walked out of the staircase and the group took off.

Meanwhile, at a certain building, Haibara Ai woke up in a dark room with only a candle to serve as light. She looked around to see that she is in a big room with only one door and one window. She tried to go out the door but her hands were chained to a pipe. A voice beside her spoke. "You're not dead?"

Ai turned to the person who was speaking and even though it was mostly dark, she could tell that the one who was talking to her was a girl, due to the voice. "You were out for two days, me and my friends thought you were dead."

"Friends?" said Ai. "How many of us are in here?"

"The last time they opened the door, we're 7 children here all in all."

'Children…' Ai thought. 'Must be kidnappers or a child trafficking syndicate.' "Where are we?"

"We're probably in an abandoned building in Osaka, because when we were brought here in a truck, I heard many people talking to each other in Osaka-ben accents."

Ai looked at her suspiciously. 'How could she tell Osakan accent from the usual? She couldn't be that smart, she's only a kid.' "Have you ever been outside this room?"

"Once. When I pretended to go to the bathroom."

"What does it look like out there?"

"Can't say much because it's pretty normal, but the only weird thing is that there are men and even women with coats that had dragons printed on them."

'The Dragon Syndicate. I'll deal with that matter later. I need to find out the truth about this girl.' "Can you tell me your name?"

"My name is Yamada Kazuko, nice to meet you."

"I meant your real name."

"W-what are you talking about?" The girl suddenly felt nervous.

"A normal child can't tell the difference between the normal Japanese accent and the Osakan accent. Also, a normal child wouldn't want to go investigate about the kidnapper who took them unless you're a detective or something. Even though I can't see you much, your actions would explain that you're not just a child. Now tell me your real name."

"All right, I'll tell you. You may not understand me since you're too little. But I'm impressed, you're pretty smart and attentive. My real name is Nomura Shino. And this is not my real body."

'Another victim?!' "That's funny because I suffered the same fate as you."

"What do you mean? What do you know about what happened to me."

"Let me guess, you were forced to drink a drug and that drug made you shrink."

"Well, I wasn't forced. The last thing that happened to me before shrinking was that I was drinking with my high school classmates until I felt like my bones were melting. I went to the bathroom instantly and I thought I was going to die. But I shrank instead. And that's what happened."

"Let me tell you something. The drink that you consumed had a drug mixed in it. I don't know when it was mixed but the ones who did it were men in black. The drug has the potential to kill people, but the rare side effect is shrinking of the consumer's body."

"How do you know so much about it? You sound like you're the creator of it."

"I was."

"You what?!" the girl who was mostly called Kazuko stood up.

"Calm down. I'll tell you the whole story." Kazuko sat back down, willing to know everything. "The drug I made, called Apotoxin 4869, it's purpose wasn't to kill. I created it to help save lives. But the men in black, who are a part of the notorious Black Organization were forcing me. Because of graduating from Harvard at the age of 18, I had all the time needed to create it. However, those men in black killed my sister, the only family I had left. I pleaded for them to give me answers, but no one spoke to me. I decided to stop developing the drug in exchange for answers, but they put me in a storage room, awaiting for my execution. I swallowed a sample I secretly took and I was ready to die, but I shrank instead. I managed to escape and I tried to find the house of the first survivor of the drug, Kudo Shinichi, but I collapsed in the rain. His friend, who was a scientist and also his neighbor, found me and took me in. Since then, I started to work on an antidote for the drug."

"I'm sorry about your sister. What is your name again?"

"My real name is Miyano Shiho. But I prefer people call me Haibara Ai."

"You said that there is a first survivor of the APTX 4869?"

"Yes."

"Kudo Shinichi is his name, right?" Ai nodded. "Isn't he the famous high school detective?" Ai again nodded. "So he shrunk, must be the reason why he disappeared. So what's your relationship with him? You two seem like close friends."

Ai blushed heavily. "Umm… he's actually my boyfriend."

"You're pretty lucky, when my classmates once saw his face, they squealed for almost two minutes."

Ai chuckled. "Don't worry, Nomura-san. I'm pretty sure he's doing everything he can to find me. Also, I'm kind of relieved to find out another person like us. We thought we were the only ones who shrunk." Ai stretched out her hand. "I believe we haven't done this yet."

Kazuko chuckled. She accepted the handshake and spoke again. "About Kudo-kun, what name does he go by and what does he look like?"

"Edogawa. Edogawa Conan. His child form bears a striking resemblance to his real body. The one thing that keeps people from knowing his identity is his glasses."

"I'd love to meet him. He seems like a good guy."

"Where do you live?"

"At an orphanage."

"D-don't you have any family here?"

"My father died when I was young due to an illness. My mother left me to the orphanage when she couldn't handle the finances anymore. I was just a young girl so I don't remember anyone from my family. Since then, my friends at the orphanage became my new family. We grew up together, and eventually became classmates until I shrank. They're probably worried sick about me now. Because I shrank, the orphanage again took me in and gave me a new name."

"Since when did you become small?"

"About two months ago."

"You know, after this is over, you can come live with me."

"Really?" Kazuko smiled.

"Sure. Hagase would be delighted to adopt another child and treat her as her daughter."

"Okay. You got yourself a deal. I'll move in with you as soon as possible."

"You just need to get your clothes, am I right?"

"Screw my clothes. I'll just grab some money from the riches oto-san left me."

"You're from a rich family? But how could you get money when you look like a kid?"

"The only ones who know about me shrinking are you and our former butler. I tasked him to watch over my inherited wealth."

"Wait, wait, wait. If you're rich, then why did your mom left you at an orphanage?"

"She was just using her own money. She wasn't allowed to touch oto-san's wealth or specifically, my wealth."

"By the way, when you get there, you should be ready for three new friends."

"You speak as though they're annoying. Are they?"

"No, they're not. But you'll be forced to join in our group, the Detective Boys. We solve cases for anyone. And with Conan in it as well, there isn't a case that we left unsolved."

"Wow, I'd love to join. It'd be fun to add a little thrill to my life."

They share a quick laugh and Ai spoke again. "One more thing. Conan asked me to stop working on the antidote since he wants to stay as a kid like me, but I wasn't able to delete the data on my computer since I was abducted. I ask you, do you want me to work on the antidote for you?"

Kazuko scratched her chin. "I'll think about it. I'm also starting to enjoy being a kid again."

Conan and the others arrived at Heiji's home at 1:18 PM. Shizuka-san gave them a warm welcome and invited them all to the dining room, having prepared lunch. Heizo Hattori was already sitting at the dining table.

After a slow fifteen minutes of eating, Heizo stood up and spoke. "Mouri-san, Heiji, and you boy, go to my room after you finish eating." Heizo walked to where Conan was sitting, beside Ran. "I can't believe I'm saying this but, you also need to come as well, Conan-kun." The boy pumped an imaginary fist in the air while Mouri fainted. Kaito, Kazuha, Heiji, and Ran laughed at him.

The four went to Heizo's room and they saw the police chief looking out the window. He faced them and spoke. "Inspector Megure of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Dept. informed me yesterday that the infamous Dragon Syndicate has their headquarters stationed here, am I right?"

"Yes, sir," said Kaito.

Heizo went to Kaito and looked at him up and down. "I don't believe we've met before."

"I'm sorry. Kuroba Kaito is my name, sir. I'm a friend of your son."

"Megure-keibu also told me that you, my son, and Conan-kun were the ones who captured the member of the syndicate. What could you tell me about him?"

"His name is Uchida Jiro. His codename in the syndicate is Wani," said Conan.

"Megure-keibu also told me that their HQ is abandoned building here in Osaka. I've sent men to investigate, but since there are so many abandoned buildings here, it's hard to come up with a conclusion on where they are."

"Can we search for their HQ ourselves?" said Heiji. The detective was then scared to death when he noticed that his father was glaring at him.

"Son, you know that I wouldn't allow you," Heiji sighed. "But what matters is we need to find them as soon as possible. Go on and call me if you find out something important."

Heiji, surprisingly, hugged his father, much to the man's shock. "Thanks, oyaji." Heizo returned the hug and broke away. "I guarantee you, we'll surely find their hideout. Come on." Heiji went out the door, followed by Kaito and Conan. Mouri was about to follow them but Heizo puts his hand on the detective's shoulder.

"On second thought, I need you to just stick with me. We're gonna go organize the troops needed to take down the syndicate." Mouri said yes on the outside but he was really pissed off on the inside.

 **Two Hours Later...**

The three friends were panting in exhaustion as they stopped at a convenience store. "Kudo, can you buy us three bottles of water?" asked Heiji. "Here's the money." He handed Conan his walled and the boy went inside.

"Oyaji wasn't kidding," said Heiji. "There are so many abandoned buildings here."

"We've checked the Northern and Western part, so now we got only South and East," said Kaito.

Conan stepped out of the store. "I think we should get to higher ground and observe from a distance." He handed the other two bottled to his friends as he drank down refreshing cold water. He also gave Heiji back his wallet.

"Kudo, you must be joking. We'd just be more tired if we do that. Let's see, what else did oyaji and I talked about? Oh that's right. He mentioned that children have been disappearing all over Osaka. Some claim it was kidnapping while others say it's child trafficking."

"Then Ai must be with the other children."

Kaito spoke up. "Let's change tactics. Let's stop focusing on the buildings and look for groups of children instead."

"Good idea, Kuroba. Let's start at the parks since most of the children here at Osaka spend time there."

The trio of detectives went to the nearest park which, to their disappointment, had no people in it. It turned out that the park was scheduled to be demolished and would be replaced by a school.

The second park had many children and the trio regain their confidence. 4 children there were walking along a path and the detectives followed them quietly. They thought they had it this time, but it turns out… the 4 kids were just going to join in a birthday party. The three friends sighed and walked away in both embarrassment and disappointment.

They hoped that it would be "third time's the charm" because they have just reached the third park. They saw 5 kids who were falling in line near the road and the three quickly hid in a nearby bush when they saw a man walk to the kids. His voice could be heard by the three. "All right kids, once my partner gets here, you can have all the chocolate you want!" he exclaimed.

"Think he's one of them?" whispered Kaito.

"Look at what he's wearing," said Heiji.

Conan peeked up and saw that the man was wearing a dragon-printed trench coat. "There's no mistake. He's one of them," said Conan. "His trench coat gave it away."

A trailer truck then parked in front of the children. The driver yelled, "All aboard!" One by one, the kids went inside the trailer happily, wanting to eat the chocolate the man "promised".

"Kuso!" said Conan. "I left my transmitters back at the agency. I can't use my glasses to track them."

"No worries," said Kaito, who was pulling out a small transmitter with two antennas. "I used this transmitter once when I was Kaitou Kid. Figured this would be useful for times like these. Here you go." He gave Conan the transmitter and brought out his phone. "That is directly connected to my phone through an app. If we can stick that anywhere in the truck, my phone can keep track of them."

"But to stick that to the truck, we need to sneak past them," said Heiji.

"I got an idea," said Conan. "I'll cross the road and walk down the other side quietly. Then I'll cross the road again and stick this underneath."

"Let's do it!"

The plan was working perfectly. Conan crossed to the other side quietly with Heiji and Kaito giving him signs on whether the two men were being suspicious of the boy. Conan crossed the road again and he quickly put the transmitter underneath the truck when he saw the last of the children enter the trailer. A sudden scream rendered all of them frozen. "This is the police! Surrender now!" Two patrol cars parked in front of the truck and the four officers there aimed their guns at the two men.

The man who was outside the truck quickly ran next to the driver's seat and closed the door. Conan ran away from the truck and back to the bushes where Kaito and Heiji were hiding. The policemen openly fired their guns while the driver brought out a phone and started to drive away. "Ryujin! We're under attack! It's the police!" he shrieked.

A voice answered. "Get out of there immediately. Kill the police while you're at it."

They looked at each other and nodded. The other man pulled out a submachine gun and fired back at the policemen. All but one survived. The two men then managed to escape. The trio went to the remaining officer at the patrol cars. "Are you okay, man?" asked Heiji. The officer nodded. "Did my father send you?"

"We've been ordered to follow wherever you go, and eliminate those who attempt to abduct children."

"Go back to my father. Tell him that we've put a transmitter in the truck. We can now locate their headquarters. Also tell him to get ready for war. I'm getting the feeling that this battle is going to be long. Got that?"

The policeman stood up and opened the door of one of the patrol cars. "I will send your message, Heiji-kun." He powered up the vehicle and drove off.

"Come on, let's get a cab and follow that truck," said Kaito. His two friends nodded and they ran to the nearest taxi stand.

Meanwhile, the officer had relayed the message to Heizo, who was scratching his chin. "So they were able to put a transmitter in the truck. Very clever of them."

"Heizo, what are you planning to do?" asked Officer Toyama, who was Kazuha's father.

"Toyama, we're going to end this. Countless families are weeping for the loss of their children, and this will continue until they are completely destroyed."

"What strategy are you going to use?" asked Mouri.

"Well, let's use one of the classics. Half of our forces will suppress their main entrance and halls while a SWAT team would infiltrate the back. I've already called a few local police departments and asked for backup. They've agreed and should be on the way. And there's no doubt that enemy snipers will weaken our ranks so I'm putting snipers of our own at nearby buildings."

"Sounds like a good plan," joked Toyama.

"Let's go rally the troops while waiting for Heiji's call.

The three detectives got off the cab after paying the driver. They looked at the place where the truck had stopped. A huge 20-floor building with tons of windows. There was also a parking lot with 4 levels underneath. Heiji dialed his father. "Oyaji, I'll send you our location. Their HQ seems to have twenty floors and there's a parking lot with four levels underneath. There are so many windows that snipers could use."

While Heiji was talking to his father, Conan asked Kaito something. "Any ideas on where could we find Ai?" Kaito shrugged his shoulders.

The two men got off the cab and they gotten off guard by punches to their faces. "Ryujin, why did you hit us? What did we do?"

"You fools," snarled Ryujin. "A pest has put this transmitter underneath the truck!" He brought out the transmitter that Conan planted under the vehicle and crushed it with his own hand. "You two will receive bitter punishment for what you have done!" The two men flinched in fear.

"What's going on here?" asked a gruff voice.

"Master," said Ryujin and the three bowed in unison. "These two let a pest plant a transmitter in their truck and they fought some police earlier. They may as well know where we are right now and head here. What punishment do you deem perfect for these two?"

"Well, since they might know where we are and we have no time to evacuate the whole base, no punishment is needed." Ryujin widened his eyes. "Instead, we will all prepare for war. We will show them who is more dominant. After we finish the police off, I might drop them of their offenses."

Even though there's a small chance, the two bowed again and spoke in unison. "We will fight until the end, master."

The boss of the syndicate smiled. "Good. We'll show them who's in charge here! Ryujin!"

"What is it, Master?"

"Take these two and prepare all of the members for battle and make sure you have guards for the children's rooms." Ryujin bowed in response and the three went off.

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here.._**

 ** _"Come on, let's sneak in while we have the chance."_**

 ** _"Crap! They know what we're doing!"_**

 ** _"This isn't over!"_**

 ** _"Pleasure to meet you, Kudo Shinichi-kun."_**

 ** _CHAPTER 14: DOWNFALL OF THE DRAGONS, PART 2_**


	14. Downfall of the Dragons, Part 2

**_Hi guys! This chapter has set a new record for the longest chapter I've written. It's hard to imagine a realistic war here, and I've also almost deleted the document that contained this chapter! That was so close! Anyway, enjoy the battle and feel free to recommend this story to your friends, family, or even your pets! LOL. Gimme a hell yeah!_**

* * *

Conan, Heiji, and Kaito hid themselves in a nearby alley when they saw a few men come out from the building and survey the streets. Heiji continued to look out for them while Conan and Kaito leaned on opposite walls and sighed. "What do you guys plan on doing now?" asked Kaito.

"Let's wait for oyaji and his troops," said Heiji, taking his eyes off of the men he was watching. "We need cover if we want to go inside so that we can retrieve all the children easily."

"I say we go in now," said Conan, earning a "WHAT?!" yell from both his friends.

"Are you planning on getting us all killed, Kudo?"

"No, in fact it will be better. When we go in now, we can secretly decrease the enemy's numbers so that your father and his troops will easily handle our enemy."

"I think you just said my plan in the opposite way."

"I did."

"So what's the difference?"

"Think about it. If we wait for your father, the syndicate will have more time to get ready and they'll handle everything we throw at them. But if we infiltrate their base now, we can weaken their ranks so that it'll be easier to finish them off."

"Go with whatever plan you want, I'm sticking with my own. Let's have Kuroba choose what to do." He turned to Kaito. "Kuroba, what do you suggest we do?"

Kaito looked at the both of them back and forth for a few times and spoke. "I'm going with Shinichi's plan." Heiji's face dropped and kicked a can in disappointment while Conan laughed in victory. "His plan is good, let's sneak in now while Heiji's dad is preparing. That way we can easily corner the syndicate."

"Fine!" 'Damn,' Heiji thought. 'Why doesn't anyone support my ideas? They're still good!'

Conan and Kaito peeked out from the alley and they saw that the some of the men were scratching their heads and they all started to go back to the building. They walked silently to along the sidewalk and saw the emergency exit of the HQ. They crossed the road and looked out once more for any more men. Heiji spoke, breaking the silence. "What if they have cameras inside?"

"Well, since they're preparing for a battle, Hattori," said Conan. "I doubt they'll be able to check the cameras and look out for the police at the same time."

"How many members do we need to neutralize?" asked Kaito.

"As much as we can, Kuroba. We need to help in any we can. And we also need to rescue Shiho and the other children imprisoned inside."

"Uh, who's Shiho?"

Heiji set his eyes upon Conan, who was staring at the exit door and Kaito followed where the Osakan was looking. "Oh, I get it! Thanks, Heiji."

"Kudo, let's go in. It's only a matter of time before oyaji gets here." Conan turned around and nodded. The trio walked sneakily and went inside the building.

It wasn't very dark inside, there were still light bulbs but they were dim. When they went inside, there were two other doors and the emergency stairs. The two doorways had signs above it. The first one reads, "Cameras", while the other was "Storage". Conan gestured for them to listen to him. "Guys, let's peek inside the cameras room."

"Why?" asked Kaito. "We could be seen."

"Exactly. Let's take out whoever's stationed there then we'll be able to roam around this building without anyone having a glimpse of us." Heiji and Kaito nodded and headed to the door. It was opened a bit, allowing Conan to peek inside. He was relieved to see that only one guy was inside and to make it better, he was sleeping on his chair. Heiji and Kaito peeked as well, and all three had to stifle a laugh. They opened the door, carefully and slowly to prevent any noise and tip-toed to the man's chair. They grabbed the legs of the chair and started to lift it up until something unexpected happened.

Conan, Heiji, and Kaito were all met with boots to the faces that sent them back. They watched as the man stood up and grinned evilly. "Didn't see that coming, did you? I saw all three of you outside earlier and I figured I could surprise you here instead of just informing all the other members about intruders! Now, time to end this." He turned to the table and set his eyes on a red button. "I'm calling my brethren."

"NO!" said Heiji.

"Shit!" bellowed Kaito.

"Kuso!" whispered Conan. All three of them couldn't move fast and the member's hand was nearing the button. Before the man could get the three in deep trouble, Conan aimed his tranquilizer on him and put him to sleep. The man fell on the floor, snoring loudly. All three of them panted in relief and stood up. Heiji and Kaito tied his hands and feet with a rope while Conan spoke. "Don't be too cocky, guys. My tranquilizer can't be used as a weapon."

"What are you talking about, Shinichi?" asked Kaito.

"Before we went here, my watch had three shots ready. Now that I used one, we only have two shots left. We need to save the last two shots for the important people, like the boss of this syndicate."

"We understand," said Heiji. "After all, there are many ways to knock out a person. And I think I know what I'm going to use." Heiji looked around and saw a clothes drawer. He opened the doors and saw a little armory. He smiled at the sight of a baseball bat. He took it and attacked with it a few times to get a feeling of the real deal.

"A baseball bat?" asked Conan.

"I won't use a glove even if there was one."

"Heiji, don't you think we should use guns instead? It'll be easier," Kaito suggested.

"Tell me, how do you suppress the sound of a gunfire, Kuroba."

"Use a silencer."

"Right. Do you see any silencers around?" Kaito looked around him and shook his head. "See? Now go get yourselves a weapon from that drawer so we can move on." Kaito got himself a sledgehammer while Conan equipped himself with a knife. Both his friends raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Kudo, why –" Before Heiji could spit out any more words, Conan stopped him.

"Am I using a knife?" Conan countered wih a serious face. "We're at war, Hattori. It's their lives or yours. Got a problem?"

"Uh, no, no. It… it's just that… it's just that you're not usually like this, you know? You're acting like you're not yourself. Right, Kuroba?" He elbowed Kaito slightly with a smile, which made the former thief narrow his eyes, which suddenly turned into a smile as well.

"Yeah he's right, Shinichi. Something seems to be bothering you."

Conan then gave a smile. "I just want to bring an end to the syndicate and see Ai again. Nothing's wrong." Both Heiji and Kaito sweat-dropped at his sudden mood change. "Now let's tape that guy's mouth up to make sure he doesn't try anything." The boy glared at the sleeping man he had put to sleep earlier. Heiji nodded and cut a piece of packaging tape and placed it on the man's mouth. For 100% safety, Kaito tied the man to a metal pole that was a hat stand as well. The trio left the room after that.

Meanwhile, Ai and Kazuko both sighed in relief when the door opened. A man with sunglasses walked in and spoke loudly enough for all of the children to hear. "Okay, you little runts. My bros are going to have a little bang-bang outside and we need you to keep quiet. If you do, we'll give you even more chocolate."

"What's the matter?" Ai said coldly. "Afraid the police might hear us?"

"Who said that?"

"I did." The man followed the voice and sat down to the child's level when he saw the child's face and smirked.

"Ah, yes. The traitor of the Black Organization. Nice job pretending to be brave, but nobody will come for you." Ai grinned angrily. "That reminds me, Anokata was asking me to bring you to him. I guess you'll have to come with me."

Ai countered with a smirk of her own. "Make me." The man grabbed her hair suddenly and she suddenly screamed in pain.

"You're coming with me whether you like it or not." Kazuko tried to stand up in order to help her friend but her friends stop her. In retaliation, Ai spat on the man's face which took him aback. She knew she only has a few seconds before the man would unleash his rage. She saw a nearby chair and ran to it. Using it as elevation, she took off with a jump and hooked her legs around the man's neck, performing a hurricanrana, knocking out the man. All children were in awe upon seeing her do that, even Kazuko. With her hands tied behind her, she took the keys that was hooked to the man's pants.

Using her teeth, she unlocks the chains that were holding Kazuko's hands together. In return, Kazuko frees her friend. Afterwards, they unlock every bind that were used on the children. Afterwards, when everyone was free, Kazuko spoke loudly so that everyone would hear her. "Come on, let's get out of here!" All the children then stood up.

"No!" Ai yelled. "If we go out there, more members of the syndicate will just capture us again. Let's wait here instead for the police."

"But what if a bad man comes inside?" asked a child.

"It's more than ten children against one man, who do you think stands a chance?"

More than twenty police cars with two trucks drove to the HQ. Heizo was in the leading patrol car, along with Officer Toyama and Mouri. There were three helicopters following slightly behind, with the SWAT teams in them.

Using binoculars, the boss chuckles. He turns around to face all the members that were in front of him. They were all in such a large room that was able to contain more than two hundred members. "Listen up, you runts! I think I know what Heizo Hattori is planning. He's going to try a simple attack from both sides strategy, but it's not going to work. We are going to fight with our lives on the line! We can't let them destroy what we worked hard for! Do you agree?"

"YEAH!" screamed the massive number of people that all had ruthless faces.

"We need to work and fight together if we are to stop them! I want you to distribute yourselves evenly at the front and back and never give up until the end!"

"YES!"

"Today, we fight not only for our safety and business, but also our lives! Now let's get ready for war!"

"YEAH!" All the men then marched out the room, leaving Ryujin with the boss inside the big room.

"What do you think is the reason why we have been exposed, Master?" asked Ryujin.

"I don't know, but I think that one of our own has betrayed us."

Something popped into Ryujin's head. "Wani! That meddlesome fool, I knew he couldn't be trusted… I'll kill him for this!"

"Calm down. When we have won this battle, I guarantee that you will get your hands on him. Just be patient."

"But Master, what are we going to do if we lose this war?"

"Don't say such idiotic things!" the boss snapped, then took a deep breath. "Well, if that happens, there's no need to worry. I always have a backup plan."

Heizo, using a radio, contacted the SWAT commander. "Commander, don't move until we have attacked first."

"Roger," replied the commander. Finally, all the cars and trucks made it to the building. Heizo and Officer Toyama organized the formation of the police and instructed Mouri to lead the snipers to the nearby buildings. The first row of policemen all bore shields, ready to take the bullets. All of them wore bulletproof vests. The men who were inside the building came out, all were armed. Heizo glared at all of them.

"Wait for it…" he growled. All of the men who came from the building all laughed sarcastically at them. Then an unexpected move sparked a flame inside the police.

One member of the syndicate was laughing so hard that he accidentally fired his pistol and hit a policeman. But it was a good thing that only the shield was hit! Heizo smirked and bellowed, "NOW!" All of the policemen opened fire, ready to kill any enemy in sight.

The chief, beside Officer Toyama, were both watching in amazement when an officer beside them both fell to the ground dead. The looked up and they could barely see enemy snipers shooting out the windows. The two ran away from the battalion and into an alley. Toyama turned on his radio. "Mouri-san! There are snipers at the windows! Take them out!"

"Yes, sir!" Mouri exclaimed. He turned off the radio and yelled loudly enough for the policemen atop the building with him to hear what he'll say. "There are snipers in that building! We need to eliminate before they could weaken our men! Go and shoot them!"

As the battle raged on in front, the commander of the SWAT team opened the back door. The whole team were shocked when their commander's head blew to bits and then the door opened. A smirking member holding a shotgun came out with ten others, holding heavy weapons each. The entire team suddenly fell back to avoid getting hit by the raging bullets. A SWAT member, who was still at the helicopter, contacted Heizo. "Chief!" he called.

"What is it?!" replied Heizo.

"The commander has been killed. It looks like we are outnumbered here because many members of the syndicate just came out."

"Crap! They know what we're doing! It's the same here! Men keep coming out of the building and the enemy snipers are good at dodging our own!"

"I'll call you later, sir. I'm going to join in the fight."

"Go! I'll call for backup!" Both of them turned off the radio as Heizo thought about something. 'That reminds me, we're supposed to meet Heiji here. But where the hell is he?'

Conan, Kaito, and Heiji climbed up a set of stairs after knocking out four members near the base of the staircase. Kaito reached the end of the stairs first but then went back, looking scared. Heiji went to him with a curious look. "Oi, Kuroba, don't tell me you're being chicken after what we did."

"No," whispered Kaito. "There's a member up there with a flashlight. He'll see us if we go there."

Conan set the pitch and frequency of his bowtie to the voice of a gruff man. "Hey! Can you go here, we're having a hard time with the police!" the boy called out. The man with the flashlight turned and began walking to the staircase. The light of his electronic flashed to the wall above the trio. When the man was about to take the first step down, Kaito grabbed his legs and Heiji covered his mouth, muffling the man's voice. The man tried to struggle out of the two teen's grips on him, to no avail. Conan climbed up and looked at the man straight in the eyes. "Where are the children?" he asked. The man, using his eyes looked at the right side of the hallway and the boy followed his vision. "What about your boss?" The man then looked at the left side of the hallway. Conan stood up and pulled the knife from the jacket he's wearing then he plunged it straight to the man's chest. He gave a twitch, and was still. Heiji and Kaito let go of him as they followed Conan between the two hallways.

"Come on, let's rescue Shiho!" exclaimed Kaito. Before he could run to the right hallway, Conan's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"No!"His friends raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why not? Don't you want to see her?"

"As much as I want to, Kaito… we need to kill every member this syndicate has. If we rescue Ai and the other children first, there's a chance that our enemy could use them to get away. I won't let her be taken away from me again!"

"You got a point there."

"Then let's go, Kudo!" said Heiji as the trio ran along the left hallway. They passed a room which had eight men in it and Kaito was the first one to notice it. He called his two friends back and had a little conversation.

"That room has enemy snipers in it," Kaito explained, pointing to the room he had just saw. "If we kill them, Chief Hattori wouldn't have any problem dealing with them anymore."

"How could we kill them?" Conan demanded. "I doubt that a bat and a sledgehammer could kill one easily and this knife of mine isn't quick as well."

Heiji looked at the floor of the opposite room and saw five pistols on the floor. "I think that's the answer to the problem, Kudo." Heiji went inside, followed by his two friends. They all checked the magazines of the guns and were relieved to see all were fully loaded. Suddenly, something cold and metallic was behind Conan's head.

"Drop the guns and come with me to the master," said the man who was pointing a gun behind Conan. "I'm sure he has plans for you all." Conan raised his arms in defeat while Heiji protested.

"Kudo, what are you doing?" Heiji asked.

The man looked at Heiji. "Quiet or I'll blow his head off." He turned back to the boy and grinned in victory.

Conan smirked and low-blowed the man with his right elbow. With quick thinking, Kaito put a hand on the man's mouth to suppress the member's scream of pain while Heiji grabbed the pistol that he was about to drop. The man grasped his crotch in pain as Conan stood before him. "You won't take her away from me," he said as he finished the member off with his knife. He looked at his friends. "Let's go take out those snipers." They all grabbed a pistol each and Heiji grinned at the boy. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The Osakan detective shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing, it's just that I'm impressed with how you dealt with this guy here." He pointed to the dead man lying next to his feet. "I thought you were really going to give up."

"Thanks for what you said earlier, it helped improve the acting."

Kaito stood at the door. "Let's go kick some sniper ass," he said.

They treaded quietly into the room and they were doing a good job at not making any noise. In fact, they were so confident that Heiji accidentally made a floor creak. The dark-skinned teen cursed himself in his mind as a sniper turned around. He wasted no time and fired his gun, killing the sniper.

Hearing a shot, all of the snipers turned around. The trio panicked but managed to shoot five more. The two snipers who were left brought out a pistol each as the three detectives each rolled to a nearby table.

Conan finished reloading and looked outside the table, but he was merely able to avoid the next bullet. Kaito peeked as well, but a bullet just brushed through his hair so fast and he was slightly terrified. Conan thought fast because the wood was going to give in. He then kneeled on one knee and powered up his right shoe. The boy kicked the table so hard that it was sent flying to the two snipers. Without thinking, they stood up and were barely able to dodge it, allowing Heiji and Kaito to shoot and kill them. All three of them panted in relief. They grabbed their original weapons outside the room and continued on securing the left hallway.

Heizo turned on his radio in response to a call. "Heizo here," he said.

"Chief, the enemies here at the back are no longer increasing. The last two ones are just hiding, and no more men has come out from the back door."

"What?"

"Chief, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but do you think that –"

Heizo grabbed his chin. "My thoughts exactly."

"Shall we bring them to you?"

The question left Heizo in thought. If he let the trio do what they want, their lives would be in danger. But if he doesn't let them, then all hopes of defeating the syndicate might be lost. They were just teenagers, but they were also dedicated to bringing down the syndicate. "Sir, sir, we're going –"

"Find them," Heizo spat out after ten whole seconds of thinking.

"What, sir?"

"Find them in there and give each of them a bulletproof vest. Assist them in whatever they're doing and whoever they're fighting."

"On it, sir." The SWAT officer turned off his radio, took three bulletproof vests inside the chopper and went inside with the SWAT team.

Heizo turned on his radio again to answer a call. "Chief Hattori, the snipers are dead!" Mouri spoke.

"Did our men kill them?"

"No, they were barely able to hit anyone of them. We've already lost half of our sniper's here. But the enemy snipers were brought down. Did the SWAT team kill them?"

'No, it wasn't any of our forces,' Heizo chuckled in his mind. 'The highly trained enemy snipers were brought down by an unlikely weak trio of brats. To think they were able to neutralize the enemy with a method I don't know, those three have potential.' "Yeah, the SWAT team were infiltrate the building. Anyway, come down here and join us. The enemies here are almost done, and we're invading this building after."

"Yes, sir!" The both of them turned off their phones as the last of the members at the front entrance of the HQ fell to the ground, dead.

Heizo spoke to the battalion through a loudspeaker Toyama handed him. "Half of the whole squadron is coming with me inside! The rest are going to patrol the outside to make sure no one escapes! Everyone got that?!"

"YEAH!" All the policemen said in response.

"Then let's move on! I sense this battle is about to be over soon!" The first to fourth row of policemen marched inside the building with Heizo and Toyama.

Conan stabbed the leg of the man who grabbed him by his hair. The man screamed in pain and dropped to his knees while Conan sticks his knife in the man's neck. Another man punched the boy in the face, sending him down. The man took the boy's knife but Conan powers up his shoe and kicks the man intm the face, sending him flying back. Kaito swung the hammer and hit another member in the jaw. He lied on the floor while clutching his jaw in pain. The former thief prepared for the final blow when another man grabbed his neck from behind. He elbowed the man and swung his hammer from the floor to his crotch which sent his enemy crying and wriggling on the floor in pain.

Heiji swung his baseball bat back and forth at his two enemies and he was able to send one down with a swift kick to the gut while the other took advantage by leg-sweeping Heiji. He grabbed a wooden leg from a broken chair and swung it at the fallen detective. Using his knowledge of Kendo, Heiji deflects the strike, kips up, and knocks the man down. He reached for his pistol in his pocket but Heiji kicks the gun out of his hand.

Gunshots were then heard all over the room The trio closed their eyes and thought that the syndicate had killed them, but when they opened their eyes they saw SWAT members were in front of them. They all had masks except one. "Are you three alright?" asked the unmasked SWAT member.

"Yeah," Heiji said. "Did oyaji order you to get us out of here? Well, tell him that I am not going anywhere until this battle is done."

"Actually, he wanted me to give you three bulletproof vests and assist you."

"What?" they all asked in unison. The SWAT member then held out three bulletproof vests for each of them and they all put them on happily.

"Let's go."

"Wait, what about these guys?" asked Kaito who was pointing to the men they had just beaten up.

"We just killed them."

"Wait, have you found the children yet?" asked Conan.

"Yeah, a comrade just reported their safety to me minutes ago. They are to be escorted outside." Conan silently thanked every Kami he could think of now that he knows that Ai is safe. They all went outside the room and continued to secure every part of the building.

 **Twenty Minutes Later...**

Finally, there was only one place left to secure and then the syndicate would be forever eradicated from the world. Heiji and his father met up near the boss's room and they were all headed to the rooftop. Only a few more police officers joined Heizo, Toyama, and the trio in securing the last part of the HQ. When they got there, it wasn't quite what they expected.

They were expecting the boss with only a few more men, refusing to give up and ready to fight. But there was two things wrong with their expectations. First, there were no more men. Only two. Second, they weren't going to fight. But rather the other one was flying a helicopter and the boss was standing near the rope ladder. "This isn't over!" the boss screamed. "Hattori Heizo, I'll let you win for now, but mark my words. We will be back!"

Heizo screamed back. "You are confident right? You wanted us to give all we've got for this battle and now you're just going to run away like chicken?! You're going to pay for kidnapping children, and for the use of drugs!"

"I wouldn't say running away, but rather a tactical retreat. As I have said, I'll be back." There was silence for a few seconds. "Ryujin! Now!" The boss jumped on the rope ladder and the helicopter started to fly away.

'Kuso!' Conan thought. He ran to the edge of the building with Heiji and Kaito following. He prepared his tranquilizer and aimed it at the boss. He fired the stun needle but it didn't hit, due to the ladder's swaying. The boy then saw Ryujin's head sticking out of the window, grinning evilly. He knew that the next shot would be his last, so he took a deep breath and fired it at Ryujin. It was a direct hit! Ryujin's face hit the controls as he slept and then the helicopter was out of control. The boss climbed up the ladder to the cockpit so he could find out why the chopper was going down. His eyes widened as the chopper was nearing the ground. Conan, Kaito, Heiji, Heizo, Toyama, and the SWAT team watched as the helicopter went out of their sights between two buildings.

BOOM! The explosion could be heard even as far as the syndicate's HQ. Heizo and Toyama sighed in relief. "It's over," said Heizo. "Let's go check out the explosion, Toyama." His friend nodded and they started to walk away with the SWAT team when he noticed Heiji was with them. He stopped for a moment and faced his son. "Heiji, you've done enough for today. Go home and get some rest. We'll take care of this."

Suspecting that Heiji will give a disappointing look, Officer Toyama spoke. "Besides, Heiji-kun. Kazuha's pretty worried about you now. Go home and rest." Heiji gave an understanding nod and went back to his two friends as Heizo and the others went away.

"That's one syndicate down," said Kaito who was looking at where the chopper had crashed.

"And one more to go," Conan finished. "Let's go, I can't wait to see Ai again." He then smiled, much to the delight of his two best friends.

When the trio walked out of the building, Conan saw the abducted children with a few policemen. He ran to them and Ai caught sight of him. She ran to him and the pair embraced each other, hugging like there was no tomorrow. "I thought I'd never see you again!" said Conan.

"Don't worry, Conan," she replied. "I'm safe, nothing bad happened to me." They let go of each other and smiled. Conan poked her forehead and she smirked. "What was that for?"

"That's for making me worry so much," he countered with his signature smirk. She punched him in the arm in retaliation as they both laughed at each other. A voice interrupted their reunion.

"So this is the boyfriend you were talking about." Conan looked at who was talking. She was a child that had black and braided hair, white skin, green eyes, and a pointed nose. He thought he was looking at a mini Kazuha Toyama.

"Ai, who's this?" he asked, turning to his girlfriend.

"Name's Yamada Kazuko," the girl stretched out her hand.

"Edogawa Conan," Conan accepted the handshake but then she smirked, much to the boy's surprise.

"Pleasure to meet you… Kudo Shinichi-kun." Conan's eyes widened as if he saw a ghost.

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here:_**

 ** _"She's just like us."_**

 ** _"Welcome to our group, the Detective Boys!"_**

 ** _"Where the hell is Kazuko-chan?!"_**

 ** _"You gave us a god-damned heart attack!"_**

 ** _CHAPTER 15: THE NEW MEMBER_**


	15. The New Member

**_Sorry for taking so long, guys! School time has been bugging my thinking. But here's Chap. 15 nonetheless! Keep up the faves and follows! Also, I'd like you all to be patient for future chapters, cause it'll take long for me to finish one. BTW, don't give up on me. It may take a week for me to finish a chapter but please don't abandon me. Until next time!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for the Dragon Syndicate and Yamada Kazuko._**

* * *

Conan regained his composure. "Uh, w-what are you talking about? My name's Conan, not… uh… whatever you said…"

Kazuko giggled slightly. "Don't try hiding it. Ai-chan here told me everything about you."

Conan shifted his attention from Kazuko to Ai. He walked in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. "Did you tell her who I was?" Ai nodded. "Why did you do it? Do you know how dangerous it is for my name to be announced on public?!"

"Taku, calm down. The reason I told Kazuko-san your real name is because I know we could trust her. She's just like us."

"What do you mean?" Conan's tone would normally mean he's serious.

"She's also a victim of APTX 4869."

Conan's eyes widened and his attention drifted to Kazuko. "How?"

"I'll sum it up, Conan-kun. I was partying with my high school classmates two months ago and everything was well. That is until we drank our colas altogether. It was then that I realized something was wrong with me, so I went to the bathroom and I shrank. Ai-chan suspects that the Black Organization had snuck a pill in my drink."

"Where do you live?"

Kazuko then smiled, pushing away the serious face for a moment. "Well, I live not very far, but I've decided to be in the same house with Ai-chan."

"You're coming back with us?"

"If you guys are fighting the organization, then so am I. They separated me from my friends at my school and my family, so I'm prepared to give my life just to bring them down."

"Then you should pack up. Hagase wouldn't mind another child to take care of. We're leaving tomorrow, so you better hurry."

"I don't need to pack up. I'm from a wealthy family, so I just need to grab some cash from our butler. He knows what happened to me, so it won't be a problem."

Conan scoffed and smirked. "So you're rich. In that case, I'm asking for a favor." He walked towards Kazuko and the girl raised an eyebrow at him. Ai sighed and massaged her forehead with her fingers.

Conan stopped directly in front of his new friend and then his signature smirk suddenly turned into a begging face with puppy-dog eyes. "Can you please treat me, Ai, Hagase and our friends always to restaurants? We also go in fishing and camping trips but that rarely happens due to budget. Pleeeaaassseee?" Kazuko sweat-dropped and turned to Ai.

"Is your boyfriend always like this?" she asked.

Ai chuckled. "No. He usually cries."

 **Tomrrow...**

"Mouri-san, Kuroba-kun, Conan-kun, the police appreciate your efforts in bringing down the Dragon Syndicate," said Chief Hattori. They were all at Heiji's house, eating breakfast. "If you all didn't help, we couldn't have defeated their organization. If you ever need help with syndicates at Tokyo, we would be glad to help."

"Thank you, sir," said Mouri, who paused abruptly from eating noodles.

"Heiji! You made us worry so much!" exclaimed his mother with a smile. "Last night, when your father told us that you and your two friends were involved, Kazuha-chan nearly destroyed every furniture here…"

Heiji's eyes widened and he blushed. "S-s-she did?"

"Well, if me and Ran-chan didn't calm her down, that is. You better apologize to her for making her worry so much about you."

"Speaking of which, where is she?"

"Her father picked her up here last night."

"Then I'll apologize when I see her." Conan, Kaito, and Ran then laughed loudly which seemed to piss off Heiji and he was distracted from eating his ramen. "What's so funny?" he pouted.

"I knew it! You and Kazuha –"

Heiji knew what she was talking about and stopped her before it could get any worse for him. "No, whatever you're thinking, you're wrong. She was just worried about me as her best friend," he said with a bloody red blush on his face.

"You're blushing, Heiji. Looks like someone –" Kaito was stopped by the tanned detective again, dedicated to keeping his relationship with Kazuha as a secret.

"For the last time, we're just best friends."

Conan brought out the cellphone his mother bought for him last week. He opened the voice clips and started to play the only file there at full volume.

"Even though you're hot-headed, arrogant, and aggressive sometimes, I will always love you, Kazuha." Heiji dropped the chopsticks that he was holding and stared at Conan in disbelief.

"I love you too!" Conan turned off his phone and put on his smirk, while Heiji screamed in annoyance and stormed back to his room. The entire scene left everyone at the dining table laughing, including Heizo. Afterwards, they continued eating.

"Conan-kun, where's Ai-chan?" whispered Ran. "You said she was also kidnapped, right?"

"She's with a new friend right now. She'll join us at the train station later," replied Conan.

 **At a big mansion...**

"James-neesan," said the little Kazuko Yamada. "I'm leaving you in charge of everything around here until I get back. I'm joining the fight against the people who made me like this." Ai, who was beside her, stared in awe at the mansion she slept in. Her new friend wasn't kidding with what she said when they were being held captive by the Dragon Syndicate.

"If that is what you wish, little miss," replied the polite butler. "I will do it. However I must advise you to be careful on your trip, you have been like a real daughter to me and I can't risk losing you."

"Of course. I'm not dim-witted."

"Are you sure 4 million yen would be enough for your needs?"

"Yes, I'm sure. If I ever need more, I'll just contact you." Ai looked at what she brought. A medium-sized shoulder bag that only had her most important possessions, which included her phone, comb, hairpins, a few pocketbooks, and a necklace. "Until next time, James-neesan." Ai followed closely as Kazuko walked out the front door and closed it. Soon after, they departed the house and went to the station where they would meet Conan and the others.

 **At the station...**

Conan, Mouri, Kaito, Ran, Ai, and Kazuko are just waiting for the next train to arrive. The last one left about fifteen minutes ago, so the next one wouldn't take long. Heiji and Kazuha bid farewell to them after wishing them good luck on their trip back home. Conan was bored waiting around, so he decided to just talk with Ai and Kazuko, who were already chatting, just to have something to do. "Kazuko-chan," he said. "How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen," replied Kazuko.

"Wow, you're the same age as us."

"Yeah."

"By the way, if you're going to Tokyo with us, you'll be forced to join me, Ai, and other friends as the Detective Boys." He then scoffed a bit. "Well, I never wanted to be a part of it, but what can I do? It's also fun to solve cases with others."

"Ai-chan already told me about it. And yes, I want to join. I think it'll be fun."

"Speaking of Ai, do you want an antidote that will bring you back to being a teenager? She can do it… although it might take long since I told her to delete everything about the antidote because I'm not going back as a teen without her by my side."

Ai decided that it was now the right time for her to talk. "Not to worry, Conan. I was kidnapped right before I was able to open the gate, so I never deleted the data."

"Would you look at that? So, Kazuko. What's your decision? She could work on it anytime."

"I still don't know, but don't delete your data yet. I'm just starting to like being a kid again, and it's safer for me this way, but hold that offer for me, I might make a mistake for my actions."

"All right, we understand."

The train to Tokyo has just arrived and all of them went inside. Conan, Ran, Kaito, and Mouri sat on one spot, while Ai and Kazuko took seat at the opposite instead of just using one place. Ran looked at the two lonely girls and whispered something to Conan. "Conan-kun, do you think they'll be mad if I talk to them?"

"I think not, Ran-neechan," replied Conan. "And I think you should talk to them. They look kind of bored."

"Okay, Conan-kun."

Ran went on over to where the two were sitting. Ai and Kazuko stared at her as she sat down on the couch opposite them. "You two," said the teen. "How are you doing?"

"We're fine, R –" Kazuko's words were broken when she didn't know who she was talking to. "I'm sorry, what was your name again, oneechan?"

Just as Ran was about to mutter a word, Ai spoke first. "She's Mouri Ran. She's like a sister to Conan when her family took him in. Am I right, Ran-neechan?"

"Y-yeah…" she stuttered. "Anyway, you're Kazuko-chan, am I right?" She shifted her gaze to her new child friend.

"The one and only!" said Kazuko cheerfully.

Ran eyed her up and down. "You know, you look like a friend of mine." She was actually referring to Kazuha.

"Thank you for that…"

 **Thirty minutes later...**

Kaito went home to his aunt and uncle, saying goodbye first to Mouri and the others, while Conan accompanied Ai and Kazuko to Hagase's house, just in case any men in black ruin their day. Everything seemed silent, but Conan always hated quiet environments. "Kazuko-chan, remember that you're going to have to attend school tomorrow with us," he said. "Then meet our friends."

"Of course, Shinichi-kun," she answered. "And by the way, if you get any news about the Black Organization, don't hesitate to tell me and Ai-chan. You're not alone in this fight, and we want to help you."

"Of course, I'm not dumb."

"Shinichi, do you think that the organization knows about what happened to the Dragon Syndicate?" asked Ai.

"Let's not hope for the worst. If they did know, they could be planning on how to ambush us while we celebrate our victory over their comrade."

They finally reached Agasa-hagase's home and Ai, along with Kazuko, prepared to say goodbye. "See you tomorrow, Shinichi-kun," said Kazuko.

"Yeah, Ayumi-chan, Mitsuhiko, and Genta would be so excited to meet you."

Ai stepped forward, in front of him and punched his arm lightly. "You owe me a safe date, you know. I'm hoping that on our next one, there's no people who'll kidnap either of us." The three of them shared a last laugh and Conan waved his arm goodbye. The two went inside, as Conan walked back home to the agency.

About ten meters from the gate, a pair of arms snatched Conan into an alleyway, out of sight. Conan closed his eyes, thinking it was a member of the organization, prepared his tranquilizer. When he faced his abductor, his eyes widened upon seeing a familiar face.

"J-Jodie-sensei?" The English teacher chuckled and Conan hid his watch out of embarrassment. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm glad you asked, Cool Kid!" said Jodie in her usual cheerful voice. "I want to first congratulate you and your Osakan friend for defeating the Dragon Syndicate. You erased one problem out of our heads."

"Well, I was trying to rescue Ai. And it looks like we found another victim of APTX 4869 there."

Jodie narrowed her eyes slightly. "Another one?" Conan nodded. "So, it seems that the organization is trying to kill more and more people by the minute. You need to find them as soon as possible, Cool Kid. If we are to stop them from murdering countless people, they need to go down."

"You got it, sensei."

Jodie returned to her cheerful attitude. "Well then, see you later, Cool Kid! Keep in touch!" Conan waved his arm as Jodie crossed to the other side of the alley to her car and drove off.

Conan smirked and continued on his way back. The rest of the day was normal for the boy, reading Sherlock Holmes, eating dinner, taking a quick shower, brushing his teeth, and getting some shut-eye. Before heading to DreamLand, he had a little conversation with himself. 'They need to go down,' he growled in his mind. 'I need to protect her. We need to win this fight. For our families, for our friends, for our loved ones, and for our country.' Afterwards, he was fast asleep.

 **The Next Morning...**

"Conan-kun, are you excited about Kazuko-chan being your classmate?" asked Ran.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Conan.

"Let me guess, you're adding her to the Detective Boys, am I right?" She smirked.

'Oi, oi. Don't blame me, It's Genta and the others you should be blaming.' "Well, it's obvious, Ran-neechan."

"I knew it. Say hi to her and Ai-chan for me, okay?"

"You got it!" Then the pair of little brother-older sister reached Teitan Primary School. Conan bid farewell and headed straight to his room, wanting to start the day quickly.

Once he reached his room, Conan quickly spotted Ai with Kazuko and they were with Ayumi and the others. He walked to where they were and he was in perfect timing since Ai was just beginning to introduce Kazuko to their friends. "Guys, this is our new classmate, Yamada Kazuko," said Ai. Conan chuckled, much because of Ai breaking her sarcastic character just for introducing a new friend.

"Nice to meet you, Yamada-san! I'm Tsubaraya Mitsuhiko."

"I'm Yoshida Ayumi, it's nice to see a new classmate!"

"Kojima Genta, at your service!"

Kazuko giggled slightly and Conan finally revealed himself to all of them. "Enjoying your first day?" he asked Kazuko.

"Yeah. You really have amazing friends here. They even invited me to join the Detective Boys."

"And? Are you?"

"Why not?" Hearing this made Genta, Mitsuhiko and Ayumi squeal in having a new member in solving mystery cases.

"Welcome to our group, the Detective Boys!" said the three children in unison. And then, Kobayashi-sensei entered the room. Kazuko properly introduced herself to the whole class in front. The little girl imagined that she was still in her high school class and she had a tear in her eye while she talked in front. It was a good thing that nobody noticed her tear, otherwise she would have been made fun of.

Conan accompanied Ai and Kazuko back home just like always. Along the way, Ai and her boyfriend had a little chat. "By the way, what did Hagase felt when he had to take care of two girls now?" Conan asked.

Ai and Kazuko giggled. "You see, Conan. He didn't like the idea of two kids he needs to take care of. However, when Kazuko-san revealed she could help with his inventions and my research with her wealth, he changed his mind instantly. He apologized, then that's it."

"You should have seen the look on his face, Shinichi-kun. He was hilarious!"

"Oh, Conan. I've continued working on the antidote, in case Kazuko-san desires to be her old self again."

"All right."

A few more minutes later and they reached Hagase's home. This time, which in a very unusual gesture, Agasa-hagase was holding the gate open for them. "Come in, come in, Ai-kun and Kazuko-kun!" He then saw Conan. "Oh, Shinichi-kun! Come in too! I've prepared tea for all of us!" However, instead of walking inside, all three laughed at him.

"You know, Hagase," said Kazuko while laughing. "You don't need to be too kind to me. I know you're trying to repay me for helping you in your inventions, but it's okay. Besides, you adopting me is better than you being too kind. That alone is enough repayment for me." Agasa-hagase sweat-dropped and headed back inside.

"Do you think he'll be all right?" joked Kazuko.

"Yeah, don't worry about him," said Ai. "Sooner or later, he's back to his old self."

"Yeah, I have to get going," said Conan. "Oji-san and Ran might get worried about me."

"See you tomorrow, Shinichi-kun." Conan nodded and walked away. Kazuko watched him as he left, thinking of the next few days ahead.

 **Tomorrow...**

"Did anyone of you see Kazuko-san?!" cried Ai. Conan, Mitsuhiko, Genta, and Ayumi were initially shocked but Conan managed to find the right words.

"What are you talking about, Ai?" asked Conan.

"When I woke up and I went to her room, she wasn't there. I asked Hagase if he knows where she is, but he said he didn't see her. I was starting to get worried until I thought that maybe she had gone to school before me. But you said you didn't see her as well."

"Calm down, Ai-chan," said Ayumi, patting her best friend on the shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be back by sunset. She gets hungry, you know."

"O-okay, I guess you're right."

Another normal day at school passed and Conan decided to accompany Ai back to her house so she could see that Kazuko is there and away from harm. "Ai, do you want this to happen often?" he asked.

"What?" Ai replied.

"I mean do you want me to go with you every time we go home from school? I've already gotten used to it."

"If you want to, go on. I got no problem with it. Also, what would you do if Kazuko-san won't be at home?"

"Of course we'll find her."

"But what if _they_ got her first?" Ai smirked.

"We'll find her like how I found you at Osaka." Conan noticed her smirk and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ai raised both her eyebrows. "Nothing. I just wanted to test how optimistic and calm you are. And it looks like you passed." Conan gave a grin of his own and they continued back to the girl's house.

Once they went inside, the only person that caught their vision Agasa-hagase typing away at his computer. Perhaps he heard the door opening, making him turn around. "Welcome home, Ai-kun! Have you found Kazuko-kun?"

Ai shook her head. Conan continued for her. "She didn't come home this afternoon?" Hagase shook his head as well. "I don't want to think of anything bad, Hagase. But I suspect that the organization's up to something. Since tomorrow's Saturday, I'm going to go look for her."

"I'm going with you," announced Ai. "Pick me up here after lunch." Conan nodded and went outside.

 **The Next Day...**

Conan knocked on the door with an annoyed look on his face. Ai hurriedly set aside the magazine she was reading and opened the door. "You're early," she said. Conan nodded, but his face still looked like he was annoyed or something. He didn't get away with it, due to Ai having almost the same level of intelligence as his. "Is something bothering you? What's with the look?" Conan lazily pointed behind him and the unmistakable faces of the Detective Boys appeared before her.

"We're going to help you find Kazuko-chan!" exclaimed Mistuhiko.

"We won't let a member of the Detective Boys be missing in action!" said Genta.

"Ai-chan, come on already!" said Ayumi. "We need to find her as soon as possible."

Ai massaged her forehead in her thoughts and sighed. 'So this is why he had that annoyed look. If I could, I'd reject their help. But knowing them, they won't stop bugging us until they get to tag along.' Ai equipped her emotionless mask and stared at her friends. "All right. With five of us searching, we'll find her fast. Just give me a few seconds to drink some water."

The squad of detectives left after Ai showed up again. While they were walking, Conan realized that they haven't made a decision on where to search first. He stopped everyone in their tracks with his voice. "Everyone, stop!" His friends looked at him. "We're just walking and we haven't even figured out where to search first!"

"Then where do you want to look first, Conan-kun?" asked Mitsuhiko.

Conan rested his chin on his hand. 'Where could she have gone to? If we can't find her, I'm gonna have to assume that the organization got her. But where? Oh yeah, she didn't bring any clothes with her, so maybe. Okay, we got her location.' The boy then began to run and his friends barely caught up with him.

"Conan! What do you think you're doing?! Running off without telling us…" pouted Genta.

"When Kazuko-chan got here to Tokyo," said Conan. "She didn't bring any clothes with her. Instead, she just brought money so maybe she's at the department store buying clothes!"

"Of course!" said Ayumi.

The group ran all the way to Beika Department Store, taking a toll out of their energy. "Let's split up and look for her separately," said Ai.

After more than half an hour of searching, they reported back to the entrance of the store without any information on Kazuko's whereabouts. "You guys didn't find anything?" asked Genta.

All of them shook their head in unison. Conan opened his mouth to say something. "I even asked one of the cashiers there if they saw a child buy clothes but they didn't. This could only mean that Kazuko-chan isn't here." Mitsuhiko, Genta, and Ayumi looked down on the ground in frustration. "Damn it! Where the hell is Kazuko-chan?!"

"Maybe she's at a restaurant, Conan-kun," said Ayumi. All of them looked at her. "I'm just saying that maybe she's hungry, so we could look at restaurant."

"Good point," said Ai. "Let's go."

However, Ayumi's suggestion only got them to wear themselves out further, because Kazuko wasn't eating at any restaurant. The group checked more than twenty restaurants, both luxurious and cheap, but none of them had Kazuko eating food. Genta even wasted some of his money to eat grilled eels and waiting for him to finish eating only got them to wait longer. They wasted one hour and a half in searching restaurants. They were now in resting in a bench near their school. "Maybe Kazuko-chan ran away," said Ayumi.

"Don't say such things, Ayumi-chan," said Genta.

"Then where do you think Yamada-san has gone to, Genta-kun?" asked Mitsuhiko.

Genta sighed. "I don't know! I just don't want to think about bad things."

While the three talked to each other, Ai and Conan had a small world of their own. "Shinichi, are you now going to assume that _they_ got her?" whispered Ai.

Conan sighed sadly. "I really don't want to admit it, but I think that –" Conan's further words can't be said due to Genta's heightened voice.

"Mitsuhiko! Do you really want to assume that she ran away? I mean, it's her first time here in Tokyo, so why would she run away so fast?!"

Conan thought about what Genta said. 'First… time? An idea sparked in his mind. I see! So that's what she's been doing all along! But I still don't know where she is. I need more clues.' He turned to Ai. "Ai, did Kazuko-chan bring anything else other than her money when she got here?" His voice shut everyone else's down, and all eyes were fixed on him.

"Well," she rested her head on her hand. "I remember seeing her phone, comb, mirror, hairpins, and four pocketbooks."

"Do you know the titles of those pocketbooks?"

"I only remember two of them," their three friends watched on like audiences watching the back-and-forth rally of a tennis court. "One's entitled 'Love is Blind' and the other is 'The Grass is always Greener'. Why are you asking?"

'Those two books may not be much help, but they'll do for now. 'Love is Blind', huh? There's nowhere here that can be about love except restaurants and cinema. We've checked the restaurants and the cinema is still closed since it's only 10:24 and the time it opens is 12:30. Tropical Land is also good, but I doubt she knows about it. Now, what about the other book? 'The Grass is always Greener'… Green? Grass? It couldn't mean farm, she doesn't know any nearby. Wait a minute!' He then smirked after a sudden thought popped in his mind. 'How could I realize just now? What an idiot I've been.' His thoughts were suddenly cut off by shrieks.

"CONAN-KUN! CONAN-KUN!"

He shivered out of fear in his place. "H-huh? W-what's going on?" Then his friends suddenly laughed. "What's so funny? And why were you screaming? Is something wrong?"

"You see, they were laughing," answered Ai, who was giggling. "Because of your look earlier. You looked really scared. And Yoshida-san was screaming at you because your face looked pale earlier, and she was getting worried."

Conan scoffed. "Taku, don't scare me like that. And stop laughing." But the three children continued with their hands covering their mouths to suppress the noise. "Anyways, I now know why Kazuko-chan suddenly disappeared." Everyone stopped in their laughing state and looked at him with a serious face. "And I think I may have an idea on where she is. Follow me."

The four followed Conan as he went to the park. Mitsuhiko had confusion in his eyes, so he opened his mouth to say something. "Um, Conan-kun? Are you sure she's here at the park?" he asked.

Conan turned around and smirked. "You should ask that to the girl sitting at the bench behind me," he said. The four looked behind him and saw a bench near them with a little girl sitting on it. Her head was inside one of the two paper bags, probably searching for something. When her face got out of the bag, it was undeniable face of Yamada Kazuko. Ayumi couldn't take it anymore and ran to her with tears falling from her eyes.

"Kazuko-chan!" she cried. The girl who was sitting on the bench turned her attention from the bags to the one who was screaming.

"Ayumi-chan?" she said. The little girl opened her arms wide and Kazuko got off the bench to accept the hug. Ayumi hugged her tightly with her tears flowing as Conan and the others went to them. Kazuko could feel her friend's tears hit the back of her shirt.

Ayumi broke the hug and wiped her tears with her own shirt. "Why were you gone? We were so worried about you!"

Kazuko gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry about that. I was just taking a tour of this city since this is the first time I've been here."

"But why were you gone for more than a day?" asked Mitsuhiko.

"Yesterday, I left the house early to start my tour of the city. I bought clothes on the way, I ate lunch and dinner also at some of the restaurants. I was planning to go home after that, but I was so tired, so I was forced to check in at Haido hotel."

"Then why you didn't call us at least?" asked Genta. "Haibara-san told us you had a phone."

"I was going to call Ai-chan yesterday, unfortunately, my phone was low on battery after I ate lunch, so there was no way to call any of you. This park is the last destination on my list, because I'm going back home. I'm sure that Hagase is worried about me. My clothes are in those paper bags and there's also a few seafood dishes there, since I'm addicted to them and figured I could share them with you all and Agasa-hagase. There are still places I haven't been to, but I'll visit them any day."

Ayumi, having her eyes wiped clean from tears, spoke up. "You know, after we bring all your clothes back at your house and eat the food you bring, we could accompany you on your tour of the city!"

Kazuko's eyes lit up with joy. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course! You're our friend! Right, guys?"

"Hai!" answered Genta and Mitsuhiko, while Conan and Ai simply nodded.

"Thank you! You guys are the best!" Genta grabbed one of Kazuko's two paper bags and Mitsuhiko got the other one. Kazuko tapped her pocket to check if her wallet is there, and it was. Afterwards, they all set off for Hagase's house.

After fifteen minutes of walking, Kazuko was welcomed home by Agasa-hagase with an open hug. Conan and Ai carefully took out the food she bought out of one of the paper bags and set it on the table. Kazuko took the bags, went upstairs, and threw it on her bed, wanting to arrange them later. She then joined the others downstairs.

While Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta helped out Hagase in setting the food on the table, Conan started a secret conversation with his fellow shrunken friends. "You gave us a god-damned heart attack!" he whispered to Kazuko.

The girl giggled. "Sorry, I needed to buy clothes and I couldn't pass up the chance to roam around in this city."

"Don't worry about it, Kazuko-san," smirked Ai. "We almost thought that the organization got you but this detective here," she pointed to Conan, standing beside her. "Didn't give up hope."

"Speaking of Shinichi-kun, there is one other reason why I left."

"What is it?" asked Conan.

"I wanted to test your reasoning and see if you're as smart as everyone says. If you find me, then you really are smart. But if you didn't find me and lose hope, I would've shown myself and shove your defeat in your face…" Conan gave an embarrassed look while Ai simply smirked. "But you passed. You really are intelligent." The three share a laugh before joining the others at the table, ready to eat.

* * *

 _ **N** **ext on I'll Always Be Here...**_

 ** _"I don't want to..."_**

 ** _"Here are your drinks!"_**

 ** _"He knew about what food or drink the victim didn't like."_**

 ** _"We were all poisoned?!"_**

 ** _CHAPTER 16: THE DREADFUL DINNER_**


	16. The Dreadful Dinner

**_The long-awaited Chapter 16 is finally here! Wow, that was over three weeks or longer. My determination to finish this story has just gotten larger and I'm thankful to all my readers for continuing on supporting me and this fanfic. Special Thanks to Hioki Ryuuhei, he forced me to finish the final part in less than an hour. I am trying my best to balance school and writing, so it may take time fore me to write next chapter. Till next time!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I'm not the owner, but... Conan and Haibara FTW!_**

* * *

"YATTA!" screamed Mouri as he looked at his cellphone. Ran stopped cooking their lunch and went to her father's desk to find out why he had to scream triumphantly. Conan also paused reading Sherlock Holmes for a while to find out the reason. Mouri noticed they were staring at him and he cleared his throat. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oto-san, why were you screaming happily?" asked Ran.

Mouri blushed heavily. "Well, you see… Yoko-chan has just created a new song and I want to hear it so bad."

Conan smirked and looked at the television, but it was turned off. "Ah-le-le? The TV is off, so how would oji-san know that Yoko-san wrote a new song?"

Mouri grinned out of embarrassment. "Did I say Yoko-chan? I meant… horse races! The racer I bet on just lost."

Ran crossed her arms and smirked. "Oto-san, it's about okaasan, isn't it? You received a message from her, didn't you?"

"N-no!" he stuttered. "Why would I even receive a message from –"

"Ran-neechan, Kogoro-ojisan has a message from Kisaki-sensei!" said Conan, who was holding Mouri's phone.

"You brat! Give it back!" He then chased Conan around the room until Ran got hold of both his arms, preventing him from moving anymore. "Ran! Let me go!"

Ran widened her smirk. "Conan-kun, read the message okaasan sent!" Conan nodded while Mouri struggled to break free of her grasp, but her strength was superior.

Conan looked at the mail and started to read it aloud as Mouri closed his eyes. "Anata, thank you for inviting me to dinner tonight! If you can, bring along Ran and Conan-kun, okay? See you at 7:00!" Mouri then fainted and Ran released her hold on him. Conan handed the phone to her and she started to read the message on her own.

"Wow, we're going out to dinner?" said Ran. "But if we go along, the romance between oto-san and okaasan might be broken." She scratched her chin and looked at Conan. "Do you think we should come along, Conan-kun?"

The boy smiled. "Since Eri no obasan asked for us to come along, I think that we should go with them." Ran nodded and got her unconscious father up on her back in a fireman's carry position. She went to his room and Conan heard her dropping Mouri on the bed. She went outside and resumed in cooking lunch.

Conan, on the other hand, resumed reading but once again stopped due to the phone ringing this time. He folded the top right part of the page he was reading and went to the phone. He first cleared his throat before answering the call. "Moshi-moshi. This is Mouri Detective Agency. Conan speaking."

"How you doin' Shinichi?"

"Kaito?" Conan sighed and made an annoyed face. "Why did you suddenly call? Did something happen?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I went home to the mansion. You should've seen Aoko's 'crybaby' face when I got home." The former thief then laughed, much to Conan's annoyance.

"Kaito, get on with it. I was just getting to the good part of the book I'm reading."

"Taku… Shinichi, that's one of the things you need to change about yourself. You rarely laugh, and you need to have a huge sense of humor. Your smirk will tend to get old, and you need to laugh often 'cause your smile is one of the unique things about you."

"Fine, fine, fine. You still haven't answered my question."

"Listen. If you find any clues involving the Black Organization, tell me so I could pack my things and stay there again. I'm getting more and more impatient as the days go by, I want them to be gone as soon as possible."

"Of course. Wouldn't want to keep the action all to myself, would I?"

"Oh, yeah, Shinichi. I'm inviting you, Mouri-san, and Ran-san to my mansion."

"We're busy right now, and we have a dinner to attend to."

"Not to worry. You can visit anytime after your little dinner. Just inform me in advance if you do. Okaasan wants to meet you all."

"Got it. Later."

"Goodbye." Conan ended the call and put the phone back. Before he could go back to his peaceful reading, Ran was standing in his way, with her hands on her hips. She gave a smirk of her own before speaking. 'Oh no! How much did she hear of it?!'

"Who were you talking to?" she asked.

"Uh… I was just talking… to the Hagase!" he replied with a fake smile.

"Don't lie." She looks at him angrily, as if she was going to hit him any second. "I heard that the person you were talking to is inviting us to his mansion. Agasa-hagase doesn't own a mansion."

'Crap. I really don't want to tell her since she'll be excited so much, but I'm screwed as well.' "It was just Kaito-neechan…" He scratched his hair while giving a chuckle in hopes of Ran calming down. She softened her emotions and proceeded with questions.

"Kuroba-kun called?" Conan nodded. "He lives in a mansion?" The boy once again nodded. "And he's inviting us to go there?" He nodded for the final time before Ran burst out into a squeal of excitement and happiness. "I wonder what his house looks like…"

'Hehe,' Conan thought. 'I'm sure it'll be perfectly fine since we're coming over, but if we're not there, no doubt that thief makes a mess.'

 **5:00 PM**

Mouri woke up in his bed. He yawned, sat up, and scanned the world around him. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed that he was in his bedroom. 'I don't remember going here,' he thought. 'What happened earlier?' The image of him passing out just went to his head. 'Oh no!' He instantly sped out of his room, only to find Eri sitting on the couch with Ran and Conan.

"Looks like you're finally awake," said Eri. "Get dressed so that we can leave already." Mouri looked at Conan and Ran for a second and saw that they were ready to go. He sighed and headed back to his room.

l

'Damn it, I really wanted to have a solo dinner with Eri. Well, what choice do I have? She'll kill me if I don't let Ran and the gaki come along.' As he finished his thoughts he put on a pair of jeans and picked a classic blue shirt. He went out and saw Conan holding Ran's hand, and they were waiting just outside.

"Anata, let's go." She held out her hand and Mouri held it tightly as they went out. Ran almost wanted to squeal in delight, knowing that her parents would be together again soon, but she decided to shut her mouth, because she would just ruin the moment.

The pair of brother and sister went out the agency first, and that's where she let out her squeals. The girl gripped Conan's shoulders, and shook him back and forth; earning an 'oi oi' look. "Conan-kun, isn't this great?! Oto-san and okaasan are getting together again and our family will be complete again!"

The boy maintained a cheerful look. "Yes, Ran-neechan! I'm happy for you!"

As soon as Kogoro and Eri stepped out into the street, Ran halted a cab for all of them and they went inside. While waiting for them to get there, Conan received a very important call. He powered up his phone and answered it. "Moshi-moshi?"

"Kudo, what's up?"

The boy's face turned into an annoyed one. "Hattori, what do you want? You better make it quick, I'm with Ran's family right now and we're going to a family dinner."

"Good for you. You know, you speak as if you're really Ran-chan's brother."

"Yeah, I hate to admit it, but…" He snuck a glance at Mouri and turned back to his call. "Oji-san has been like a father figure to me."

"I wonder what his reaction will be when he finds out you're Kudo Shinichi."

"I am not looking forward to that day. I don't want to think about it. I'm just focusing on what's happening right now."

"Anyway, I may have some bad news, Kudo."

"What is it?"

"Remember when we defeated the Dragon Syndicate? The boss's helicopter crashed, right?"

"Yeah."

"When oyaji and the others searched the crash site, there were no ashes found whatsoever of the two who were flying it."

This made Conan snap out of his annoyed look and return to his usual "detective" look. "Are you sure? Did your father thoroughly checked?"

"Yeah, he even let me check myself."

"Kuso, now we don't know if they are really gone. We just have to hope for the best."

"I'm with you. This war isn't over, it's just beginning." Silence grew between them for a few seconds before Heiji again. "Anyway, I hope you all have fun with your dinner. I have a date with Kazuha later. Relay my message to Kuroba and say 'hi' to him for me."

"All right. Good luck with your date." Conan ended the call and immediately dialed Kaito.

"Who's this?" said the voice from the other line.

"Dude, try to save my number so you won't ask next time," Conan replied in an annoyed voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Shinichi. Don't worry, I'll save your number after this call. So what's up?"

"Kaito, I don't know if this is true or not; but Hattori told me that no ashes were found whatsoever at the crash site of the chopper at Osaka."

"You've gotta be kidding me! Is Heiji telling the truth or is he just messing with us?"

"His father confirmed it. There's a chance that Ryujin and his boss escaped the helicopter before it crashed. But we shouldn't give up hope."

"You're right. But if they really survived the crash, they might join forces with the Black Organization, which is bad for all of us."

"Even if they do join forces, we'll do everything we can to stop them. We can't let them keep killing more people."

"So is there something else you want to tell me? If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up, I got something important to do."

"Hattori said 'hi'."

"Tell him 'goodbye'." Conan chuckled.

"That's it. Until next time, Kaito."

"Later." Conan ended the call just as the car stopped at their destination. Mouri paid the fare and they all went out. The restaurant's name was "Tokyo Tokyo". They went inside and not many people were eating inside, much to the surprise to Eri and Conan. They read about the fast food restaurant and it was always shown having many customers.

The four settled beside an already occupied one and a waiter gave them two menus. Ran and Conan shared one while Kogoro and Eri scanned the other. After a few minutes, Mouri threw the menu down on the table, which startled Eri a bit and both Ran and Conan stopped at what they were doing. "We went to the wrong place!" he screamed.

"Anata, what's wrong?" asked Eri.

"This place doesn't have any beer!" Conan, Eri, and Ran sweat-dropped.

"Of course it doesn't have beer, oto-san. This is a fast-food restaurant for the public, not for any of your beer-drinking habits."

"I don't care!" squealed Mouri. "Let's go somewhere else that has beer!"

"Do you want people to think of the "Great" Mouri Kogoro as a drunk, oto-san?"

"Of course not!"

"Then sit down and let's continue on checking the menus, you can continue with your beers when you have the time."

Mouri scoffed. "All right, fi –" A voice cut him off.

"You're the famous detective Mouri Kogoro?" All of them looked at the voice which came from the neighboring table. There was a man with sunglasses was smoking a cigarette, a middle-aged woman with sharp cheekbones and angry-looking eyes; a young teen boy with blonde hair, and a man with a face that signified curiosity. Mouri nodded which instantly got the curious man stand up from his seat. "It's an honor to meet you! I'm a big fan of you!" Mouri scratched his hair in embarrassment. "If it's beer you're looking for, I have many bottles at my house. If you want to, then after we all eat here, let's go drink at my house. My friends here are coming as well."

"I'd rather not, it would be rude of me to just go into someone else's house and drink there."

"Please, I insist. It's not everyday that you get to see a famous detective."

"All right, one drink."

"Thank you!" The man stretched out his arm for a handshake and Mouri accepted it. "I'm Iwasaki Yukio, a journalist."

"Okada Amano, I'm an editor of a newspaper company," said the man with sunglasses.

"Ukita Haruko, a pleasure to meet you, tantei," said the woman.

"And I'm Ando Akira, I work under Amano-sensei," said the teen blonde. "Share tables with us and let's eat together. It would mean a lot to me since this is the first time I came across you and I'm sure that my friends wouldn't mind it." Conan raised an eyebrow when he saw something strange about the teen's face.

'There's a scar on his forehead,' Conan thought, referring to the faintly drawn lines on his face. 'They're faint, but I can tell that he once had a scar, a big one. Where did he get it?'

"Ran, help me out," said Mouri. He lifted one end of the table and Ran got the other. They joined their table with their new friends. Afterwards, they adjusted the seats and then sat down.

After ten more minutes of checking the menus, Yukio-san went to the counter to order their food. While he was doing so, Akira-san stood up from his seat. "Excuse me, I have to take an important call." He went outside and brought out his phone.

Amano-san stood as well. "I'm going to the bathroom," he said as he went off which also made Haruko-san stand as well.

"I'm going as well. Please look after our things." Ran noticed that her parents were not looking nor talking to each other since they joined tables with the others. She decided to make a head start for the both of them.

"Okaasan, oto-san, when are you going to reconcile?" Both her parents blushed. "I miss seeing the two of you smiling together, as well as seeing ourselves as a complete family."

"I'll come back when this drunk learns how to stick with one woman…" Eri said as she glared at her husband. Kogoro smirked and looked away, however, he had a depressed look on the inside compared to his outside look. Then, the depressed look suddenly got eyes of determination. He desperately wants to rebuild his family again and he's going to start by seeing his favorite idol, Okino Yoko, as a normal celebrity and idol.

'I'm sorry, Yoko-chan,' he thought. 'You know I idolize you more than anyone, but Eri is my wife and she deserves more than that. I'm just going to treat you like a normal celebrity now…' His inner self then started crying embarrassingly, and it was a good thing that it was his inner self that cried.

Conan was enjoying the little "cat and dog fight" Kogoro and Eri were having. He began to imagine himself and Ai in their places. He remembered all the friendly arguments they had, teaming up against the organization, saving each other in times of crisis, and most importantly, falling in love. The boy never noticed that a tear fell out of his eye so he had to wipe it off quickly as soon as he saw it.

Outside, Akira-san had a serious face and his eyes were scanning every direction. He spoke in a low voice. "Mizuchi, I am ready to take the target. I'm waiting for your command."

Amano-san and Yukio-san sat down at the table and waited for the others to come back. A few minutes later, Haruko-san returned with chopsticks for everyone. A waiter went to them using a food cart to deliver the food. He placed all of them gently on the table as Akira-san sat back down on his chair. "It's a good thing I returned sooner," he said. "Otherwise I would have missed the food."

All of them went for appetizers first. Two Creamy Chicken salads were able to satisfy their craving bellies. Yukio-san also ordered a basket of breadsticks which completed the starting food. A big Chicken Tonkatsu and three bowls of ramen answered their needs. Mouri and Amano-san carefully cut and divided the chicken into 8 equal parts and gave one to each of them.

Conan was starting to really enjoy this "date" of Eri and Kogoro. 'I think I just found out the perfect place for our second date,' he thought to himself. 'Or I could get Kazuko-chan to treat us all here… the grilled eels Haruko-san ordered were also delicious. Genta could pass out here.' He was brought back to reality when Ran gave him a glass of cola.

"Here you go, Conan-kun!" she said happily.

Conan took the glass. "Thank you, Ran-neechan!"

"Here are your drinks!" Mouri passed the glasses of cola to Eri, who accepted it gladly, then to Amano-san, Yukio-san, and Haruko-san. But when he was going to give the last glass to Akira-san, he was already raising his hand in protest.

"I don't like soft drinks, I'm just going to drink water."

A few more minutes later, they stood up, having finished all of their food. "Now, Mouri-san," said Yukio-san. "Let us continue to my house." Kogoro nodded and they were about to leave when they suddenly heard screams of pain.

They turned around to see where the screams were coming from, the thing that met their eyes was Akira-san clutching his shirt, screaming. "GRAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!" His screams suddenly died when he himself collapsed on the floor, eyes wide open. Everybody inside the restaurant was in shock.

Conan and Kogoro instantly ran to the body, with the latter yelling, "Eri! Ran! Call the police and an ambulance!" The pair of mother and daughter nodded and took out their phones.

Mouri knelt down and checked for a pulse, then he stood up and looked at Akira-san's friends. "I'm sorry to say this, but he's dead." The sentence alone brought great shock to Haruko-san, Amano-san, and Yukio-san. Conan frowned and started to check for other clues.

'He was clutching his shirt,' he thought. 'If he was clutching his neck instead, it would've meant suicide. So this means that he was murdered!' Conan rested his head on his chin. 'And it's quite obvious that he was –" His thoughts were cut off when he saw a black thing sticking out of the fallen teen's pants. He brought out a handkerchief and took the black thing. It appears to be a wallet and when Conan looked at its contents, his eyes widened as if he saw a ghost when his vision caught an unmistakable name of a Japanese dragon in a small rectangular card with Akira-san's picture.

 _OROCHI_

It was a name of an eight-headed Japanese dragon, and Conan gritted his teeth as he gazed upon the lifeless body. 'He's one of them?! I need to take his ID.' He took out the ID and returned the wallet inside the teen's pants. Unbeknownst to the boy, a hooded man was outside, watching his every move. 'I'll deal with this matter later, I need to solve the case first.' He stood up and looked at all the food. The Chicken Tonkatsu, Chicken salad, breadsticks, cola, ramen, and water could be used as the containers for the poison. 'If he was poisoned, which of the food had the poison?'

Megure-keibu arrived at the scene with Takagi-keiji and a few more officers. The fat inspector gave an annoyed look when he caught sight of Mouri, who was smiling embarrassingly. "It's you, again," he said. When he saw Eri, the annoyed look on his face disappeared. "Eri is with you?" Kogoro nodded. "So, tell me what happened."

Conan stood on his chair and looked at all the food on the table. 'The water would be the most suspicious since Akira-san didn't like soft drinks. But the murderer can't know which glass occhan would give him since he was passing out all of the food earlier. If it was the salad, we could've been dead by now. Wait, unless!' He then flashed hid signature smirk. 'So that was the method of killing the murderer used. That was too easy, now I just need to find out who the real murderer is. I gotta make this quick, since I need to find out the truth about Akira-san. And I also need more evidence otherwise they won't believe me.'

He got off the chair and walked to the spot opposite to where Yukio-san, Haruko-san, and Amano-san were standing. Yukio-san, Haruko-san, and Amano-san were the only ones who left the table along with Akira-san. Therefore, they're all suspects. I need to find more clues about them.'

"NANI?!" said Megure-keibu. "He was poisoned?"

Mouri nodded. "Just after we finished eating, Akira-san suddenly grabbed his shirt and collapsed on the floor. I checked for a pulse but his death was instant."

"Which means that the poison must be contained in the food we ate," said Eri. "If I remember correctly, Akira-san only drank water, unlike the rest of us who drank cola. This would mean that the poison was in the water."

"No, Eri. The murderer can't possibly tell which glass the victim would drink. And the poison's color would've blended with the water, so the list of the possible food as the containers for the poison narrows down to the Tonkatsu, salad, and breadsticks."

"It also means any of the three people with you could've committed the crime," said Megure-keibu. "Since Mouri-kun said that Yukio-san ordered the food, while Amano-san and Haruko-san went to the bathroom.

'Nice work, oji-san. Keep going. You might even outrun me this time!' Conan turned his attention towards the three suspects who were sitting at their original seats from earlier. 'Now, let's see who's the killer between you three.' His eyes widened when he saw Haruko-san wiping her hands, Yukio-san was tapping his pockets, and Amano-san pulling the plate of Chicken Tonkatsu towards himself. 'I see. There s no doubt that that person is the criminal! Now to just put occhan to sleep.' He started to aim his stun-gun wristwatch towards Kogoro's neck, but became hesitant in pushing the button.

He looked at Mouri and Eri back and forth, while also taking a quick glance at Ran. 'Fine, Uncle. I'll let you take the spotlight today. Do it for Eri-no-obasan!' He looked at the three suspects. 'How could I make him notice it?' He scratched his chin. 'Okay, the plan is perfect.'

The boy went to the chair beside Amano-san and sat on it. He then spoke in a voice so loud that it can be heard throughout the whole restaurant. "Wow, this big chicken was so delicious! I'm gonna have another bite!" he said as he started to reach for the Tonkatsu that was near Amano-san. The three suspects had wide eyes while the police looked on.

"DON'T!" screamed the three in unison.

"There still might be poison in this chicken, boy," said Amano-san. "Don't try to eat any of the food." Kogoro's eyes widened.

"He's right, kid," said Haruko-san. "We don't know which food here has the poison so we should be careful."

"I got it! I've figured out who the criminal is!" exclaimed Mouri.

Eri looked at him. "Anata! Who is it?"

The detective put his hands on his pockets and smirked. "Let's not get too pushy. First, let's understand that excluding me, Eri, Ran, and Conan, anyone of the three could have the chance to murder Akira-san since Amano-san and Haruko-san went to the bathroom while Yukio-san ordered the food. Since the food was delivered via cart, one of them injected the poison in the Tonkatsu that we ate." He walked over to where the three suspects were sitting.

"We were all poisoned?!" shrieked Haruko-san.

"How could this be?!" bellowed Amano-san.

"But, Mouri-kun," said Megure-keibu. "How could you know that the Tonkatsu was the one that contained the poison? It could also be in the salad, breadsticks, and drinks."

Kogoro chuckled. "The reason is simple. Since the Tonkatsu was newly fried, there is still moist inside the chicken. This would allow the poison to flow through every part of it and thus, it became poisonous. It couldn't be used on the salad because it has a variety of ingredients, while the breadsticks were dry, and only one part of it would be poisoned."

"But what about the two drinks? And if you all ate the chicken, why are you still alive?"

"I was just getting there." He took one glass of water and a glass of cola. "The poison couldn't be put in the water, either, because the color would blend." He put back the glass of water. "And I'm sure that the cola here has the antidote to the poison."

"NANI?!" All of the people there looked at Kogoro in amazement while Conan simply smiled.

"The criminal knew which food or drinks the victim didn't like, so he put the antidote in the cola, which he knew that Akira-san hated. That is why we're all safe. If this is tested, I'm sure the antidote can be found."

"Anata, who is the killer?" asked Eri.

Kogoro looked at her. "Like I said, the criminal knew what kinds of food the victim didn't like. And who knows Akira-san here better than you," he pointed to the one beside Conan. "Okada Amano-san!" The man gave a shocked expression, but regained composure.

"Wha-what are you talking about? I went to the bathroom with Haruko-san," he replied.

"Let's say you did go to the bathroom, but you were only there for a few seconds."

"Nani?!"

"You just waited for the moment that Haruko-san stepped inside the women's bathroom, then you can carry out your plan. You went to the food cart, and injected the Tonkatsu with a syringe. After that, you went back to the bathroom so that Haruko-san could see you were there the whole time."

"Hey, hey, do you have proof that I was the one who killed Akira-san?"

Mouri gave a glare. "Just admit your crime. You yourself admitted that you were the murderer earlier." Amano-san's eyes widened. "You told Conan that the poison might still be in the chicken, you didn't say that it might be in every food." The man gritted his teeth and looked at the floor. "If you want more proof, let's check the cameras here if you really went to the bathroom. You still have a conscience, that's why you stopped Conan from eating the chicken." The man sighed, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and started to smoke.

"Conscience?" he said. "He didn't have one. When the company we were working for was about to go bankrupt, I created a story that would've changed everything. But that jerk stole it and took all the credit for his own. I would've forgave him if he at least mentioned my name and thanked me, but he didn't. You deserve the title 'Great Detective', Mouri Kogoro."

'So that means Akira-san was a new recruit of the syndicate!' Conan thought.

"To the station we go," said Megure-keibu as they took Amano-san away.

The hooded man outside started to walk away as he brought out a phone. "Orochi is dead, the target escapes… for now."

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here..._**

 ** _"There are rogue members on the loose?"_**

 ** _"The waterwheel starts to turn at exactly three o' clock."_**

 ** _"He acted really strange earlier."_**

 ** _"Change of plan, Mizuchi."_**

 ** _CHAPTER 17: FISH FARM MURDER CASE_**


	17. Fish Farm Murder Case

_**Hey, guys! I wanted to tell you that this chapter is very special. As you can notice, this has added 6k words to my already long fanfic. This marks the beginning of the Kaito x Akako relationship! If it's not obvious, I already support Shinichi x Shiho. It's not surprising if I also support Kaito x Akako. It's because they are the Shinichi Kudo and Shiho Miyano of Magic Kaito. And to those who are wondering why I support the ShinShiho relationship, it's because they are a perfect example of the haters-friends-partners-lovers relationship. They are so made for each other. They are on the same level of intelligence and Haibara could also start a career as a detective like Conan. Anyway, thanks for continuing the support with all the favorites and follows! Thanks for the reviews and keep going! Love you all!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Read the other chapters... LOL**_

* * *

"Dad's deduction earlier was so cool!" sighed Ran as they were headed back to the agency. It had been a long day for them and the time was now 8:50 in the evening. After solving the murder of Ando Akira earlier, the great detective just wanted to get some sleep right now. However, Conan knew the night was far from over for him. He tapped his pockets to feel if Akira-san's ID is still there, and it was.

'I need to tell Kaito and Hattori about him. It seems there are still members out there, and we all need to be careful. Akira-san may have been plotting on how to kill me or Ai earlier. I also need to inform Jodie-sensei about this. I'm going to check up on Ai and Kazuko-chan tomorrow.'

Eri stopped at a taxi stand. "Anata, thanks for tonight," she said, causing Kogoro to blush. "I hope we have another date soon. I'm starting to consider moving back with you."

Ran felt like she was going to faint any moment because happiness fully took over her, but she shook the feeling off. She embraced both her mother and father with a tight hug before letting go after about twenty seconds. A taxi stopped in front of them, and Eri stepped in while waving her hand farewell. The three did the same and they watched as the car drove off.

They headed back to the agency where Conan needed to make a few important calls to his two best friends. He dialed Heiji's phone and it was a whole minute before somebody answered. "Kudo, what's with the sudden call? I was just sleeping with Kazuha, then you –"

"Hold on," said Conan. "You were sleeping with Kazuha-chan?!"

"Oi, oi! Don't think dirty, Kudo. I meant that she is sleeping beside me peacefully then you just call. So got something on your mind?"

"Taku, I almost thought that you might be having a baby after nine months." Heiji then growled and Conan chuckled. "Anyway, there was a case at a restaurant earlier."

"And?"Heiji asked, not really interested.

"It was a murder case. The victim's name was Ando Akira. When I checked his wallet, I saw the ID of a DS member. His codename is Orochi."

"Are you serious?" His tone changed, signifying he wants to know more.

"I couldn't believe it. My initial thoughts were that he was tasked to either kill or capture me, that's why he was trying to get close to us during our dinner."

"So there are rogue members on the loose?"

"I think so."

"I'll tell this to oyaji, and the next time we meet, show me his ID. I'll help you investigate more about this Akira-san. And tell Kuroba about this too, he deserves to know it as well."

"Yeah, that's what I'm about to do."

"Since there's nothing else you want to say, I'll be sleeping here with Kazuha."

"Hey, Hattori. Be sure to make me a godfather of your child with Kazuha!" said Conan cheerfully.

"AAAAHHHHOOOUUU!" was the last thing Conan heard before he hung up, still laughing at the joke he made. It took him two minutes to completely get over it and he started to dial Kaito's phone.

"Shinichi?" said Kaito from the other line. "What brings you up this late?"

"There was a murder case earlier. The murder victim was Ando Akira. When I looked at his wallet, I saw an ID."

"Go on."

"His name wasn't there. Instead, it was replaced by the codename 'Orochi'."

"Orochi? The eight-headed dragon?! So he was a member of the Dragon Syndicate?! I thought the only members that are possibly are the boss and Ryujin?!"

"Not surprising to me. I think they are just rogue members who are in hiding. Since they don't know what has become of their boss, they don't know what to do. However, Akira-san may have been planning to kill me earlier. It's kind of weird to just meet a member of a dangerous syndicate without following a target."

"It's a good thing nothing happened to you. Have you told Heiji about this?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, right. Spider and Snake have disappeared ever since the Pandora gem was destroyed. Looks like the organization won't risk any of their members."

"You should still be careful, Kaito. They may know about the secret identity of Kaitou Kid. Try solving cases like a real detective. That way, people won't think of you as a magician anymore, but rather a completely person. The organization will take their eyes off of you as well."

"I will. Also, next Saturday, I want you all to come to my mansion. Bring Heiji and Kazuha-chan along as well. My mom wants to meet my friends from Tokyo, and I could show you all to my school."

"Sure, since I've just finished reading my latest Holmes book and there's no news about recent ones, I have nothing to do next Saturday. Maybe me and Hattori would get to watch you solve a case. If you do, we won't interfere and let you solve it."

"I'll be there at 8 in the morning, be sure to have already packed. Good night, Shinichi."

"Good night." Conan ended the call, put his phone under his pillow, and closed his eyes. 'I wonder how my Saturday goes tomorrow?' he thought to himself. 'Well, occhan told us earlier that we would go to a fish farm near the bay that's owned by an old friend of his. To be honest, I want to visit Ai and Kazuko-chan, but maybe on Sunday or Monday.' Then a vision of him, Ai, Kazuko, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta going on countless adventures welcomed him to DreamLand.

 **Tomorrow…**

"Conan-kun, are you done with yourself? You've been in your room for more than twenty minutes now, are you all right?" asked Ran from outside.

"Yes, Ran-neechan!" Conan replied. "Just give me a few more minutes."

"Well, you better hurry up if you don't want to get caught in the middle of a heavy crowd. The line at the train station tends to get crowded after 9 in the morning."

Conan put on a hoodie and pants. 'Why do I even have to go to a boring fish farm? I wanted to visit Ai and Kazuko-chan…' He finished putting on his sneakers and headed out the room holding a comb. "Ran-neechan, why do we have to go to a fish farm?" he asked while combing his hair.

Ran went to the boy and knelt so that they had the same eye level. "Oto-san just told me that an old friend of his invited him to his family's fish farm. Maybe he'll tell us the rest on the way." Conan sighed and nodded.

"Where is Kogoro-ojisan, by the way?"

"He's still in his room, why?"

"Just call me when we're going to leave, Ran-neechan. I'm going to call Ai and Kazuko-chan because I want to check up on them."

Ran gasped and patted the boy's head. "My, my, maybe my little brother Conan-kun is all grown up! He's overprotective of his girlfriend and new friend! What has made you like this?"

Conan chuckled in his head. 'Try asking that to a certain syndicate who's still on the loose…' "I just want to make sure if they're fine, Ran-neechan," said Conan cheerfully.

"All right, Conan-kun. Better make it quick because I think oto-san will be out of his room soon."

Conan went to the phone and dialed Agasahagase's telephone number. Someone picked it up from the other line. "Moshi-moshi?"

"Yo, Kazuko-chan!" said Conan.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you to call, Shinichi-kun! Should I get Ai-chan? She's just down in the basement."

"Not yet, there's something I want to tell you."

"Okay, what's on your mind?"

"I just encountered a member of the Dragon Syndicate yesterday."

"WHAT?!" yelled Kazuko that she was heard throughout the house. Her yell was loud enough for Ai to temporarily stop her work on the antidote and check out the noise. When she went up to the living room, her face became annoyed when she saw Kazuko holding the telephone.

She puts a hand on her hip and smirked. "Was there any reason for you to yell, Nomura-san?!" said turned around with a worried look. "Is there something wrong? What's with your face?"

"Shinichi-kun just told me that he encountered a member of the Dragon Syndicate yesterday."

"Nani?! Give me that!" She rushed to Kazuko's side and snatched the telephone from her. "Shinichi! What do you mean you encountered a DS member?! I thought they were gone!"

"Hey, Ai. Well, you thought wrong. There are still rogue members out there, waiting for their organization to be reborn. Ando Akira-san was the name of the member I encountered yesterday. His codename was Orochi, the name of a Japanese eight-headed dragon. I found out about him after he was murdered and I saw his ID. I took it and it's safe here in my room.

"What do you plan on doing now, Shinichi-kun?" asked Kazuko in a voice that can still be heard from the other line even if she didn't have the phone.

"I just want you two to be careful. We don't know how many of them are there, they may have joined forces with the Black Organization, they may be in any part of Japan, and they may be watching our every move right now." Ai and Kazuko shivered in fear. "But as long as we stick together and fight as one, I'm sure we can get through this safely."

"You're right, Shinichi." Her sarcastic personality returned to her. "So is there anything else you want to talk about other than dangerous men?"

"I'm going to visit you two on Monday, since it's a school holiday. I want to see and check up on you two. And maybe Kazuko-chan can treat us somewhere!"

"Awww, the great detective is watching over us," Ai replied sarcastically. "We can take care of ourselves you know."

"Wait, I'm just concerned about you two. I just said that there are still members of the Dragon Syndicate on the loose out there, and I don't want to see any of you two to get kidnapped again."

"If you are concerned, I don't mind it, Conan. However, your behavior isn't showing that you are concerned." Her smirk widened while Conan raised an eyebrow. "Your behavior shows that you're being obsessed with me." Kazuko burst out laughing while Conan sweat-dropped. "Just because I'm your girlfriend now doesn't mean you get crazy over me," she said while chuckling on her own.

"I wasn't being obsessed. It's not funny, you know! I just want to spend time with you since we're neither neighbors and I only get to see you for five days in a week when we have classes in school.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Don't cry," Kazuko-was still laughing out loud. "I was just kidding, tantei-kun! Don't cry!"

Conan heightened his voice. "I wasn't going to cry! Just stop with your sarcastic comments!"

"Why? Am I hurting you?"

Conan sighed. "I don't have time to argue with you, Ai. We're going to a fish farm today and occhan just came out of his room."

"Be careful on your way."

Conan decided it was time for a little payback. "Why? Are you gonna cry when we don't come back?" Ai wasn't prepared for that reply, and it only made Kazuko laugh louder.

"He got you big time!" said Kazuko.

"I'll get you for that, Conan…" said Ai angrily before hanging up. Conan put down the phone and went out the door down to the street. Soon after, Mouri and Ran joined him and they went off.

 **Meanwhile...**

At Etoda High School, a retired magician just reached the school grounds for weekend practice of soccer. He was the first one there and no one was around, so he decided to practice a few shots.

When Kaito kicked his tenth shot, a girl's voice spoke up from behind him. "You're getting better as the days go by."Kaito turned around and saw the Shiho Miyano of his world. He gave an annoyed look.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Is it wrong to check on you?" He shook his head. "Kaitou Kid hasn't been appearing since last week and I just wanted to check on your well-being."

"So? Are you implying that I am Kid? How many times do I have to tell you that I am not!"

Akako giggled and moved closer to him. "I didn't say anything like that. But I am concerned for your safety, you know."

Kaito was getting pissed off. "You don't need to worry about anything. I suggest you go back to your home and do something that doesn't bother me at all. And why do you even care if I'm safe or not?"

She flashed him her signature smirk. "You need to find the reason out for yourself, Kuroba-kun." He raised an eyebrow, clearly confused with what she was talking about. "I'll give you a hint. It has something to do with yourself." Kaito internalized what she said and thought hard.

'What the heck is she talking about?' he thought. 'Something that has to do with me? I should just ask her.' Before he could open his mouth to say something, Akako was gone from his sight. He sighed and picked up his soccer ball. 'Well, I guess I need to find her if I want to know what she was talking about. She couldn't have gotten far yet.' He started to walk along the road away from his school as he scanned every corner of the streets.

A few minutes later, he saw a purple-haired teenager knocked down by a masked man. Kaito immediately hid in an alley and he realized that the teenager was Akako herself. The masked man took her handbag and started to walk away. She tried to move but her own body wouldn't let her and then she suddenly heard the sound of an engine. She turned to her right and saw that a truck was nearing her, she then passed out. Kaitojumped from his hiding place with fire in his eyes. 'I won't let her die here!' He took his unconscious friend in his arms and ran to the other side of the street, mere seconds before the truck could come in contact with even his foot. He set her down quietly and followed the masked man who was still walking away. The detective elbowed him on the head, knocking him out. He took Akako's handbag and called the police and ambulance.

It was not more than five minutes before Nakamori-keibuarrived at the scene with an ambulance. Two men carried Akakoand settled her on a stretcher, as she was beginning to wake up. Kaito was the first person she saw. "Kuroba-kun? What happened?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

She gave him a warm smile, which was clearly an out-of-character move for her. "Don't. I think I now know what happened. Just don't do it again, please." Kaito was left wide-eyed with her, it was clearly an out-of-character move for her to say "please". But he was pulled back into reality by her next words. "Kuroba-kun," he waited patiently for what she would say. "I… I…" He will have to wait for what she was about to say since she passed out again. The two men took her inside the ambulance and left a wide-eyed KaitoKuroba staring blankly at the vehicle. The police arrested the masked man as the detective went back to school.

 **Near the bay…**

Conan, Ran, and Kogoro set down their knapsacks on the living room table while a man with glasses along with, maybe his wife, were standing in front of them. "We meet again, Mouri-san! It's been twelve years and you still look the same!" said the man.

"The same goes for you, Sugawara-san!" said Mouri while rubbing his hair.

"Oto-san, who is he?" asked Ran.

"Ran, this is my friend that I was talking about. This is Sugawara Reiko. We met twelve years ago in a case I was investigating. He was a suspect of a murder but he was proven innocent because of me. The woman beside him is his wife, Etsuko, if I'm right?" He looked at the lady beside Sugawara-san and she nodded.

"I take it that these are your children, Mouri-san?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" he said while ruffling both Conan and Ran's hair, which left the little detective confused. "I'm glad you noticed!"

'Oi, oi, weren't you the one who always said that I'm just a kid who you're taking care of?' Conan thought.

"Let's go to the balcony and watch the fish from there. I'll tell our maid to prepare lunch." The three guests nodded and followed the three upstairs, with Reiko-san taking a small detour to the kitchen where their maid, Endo Azami-san, was eating lunch. He told her to make them lunch, and she obliged.

They went to the balcony and they saw the big pond full of fish. Ran and Conan were amazed and said "Wow!" in unison. They also saw a bridge connecting the main house to a small shack in the middle of the large turned to Etsuko-san, who was standing behind him. "Oba-san, what is that small house for?" he asked, pointing to the shack.

"Oh, that's just the storage house where my husband keeps the fish food and the adult fish. You see, when we have adult fishes, Reiko breeds them in that house. Then he puts the fish back in the pond."

"Why do you collect fish? Do you sell them?" asked Ran.

"Of course we do. But we breed the fish first before taking them to the market. Sometimes, when we almost run out of fish, our two sons, Natsu and Matsuko, go fishing at the bay themselves."

"How do the fish stay healthy, oba-san?"

"We feed them regularly… and let me see… oh, do you see that waterwheel over there?" she pointed to a large waterwheel near the ground to the left of the shack. Both Ran and Conan nodded. "It keeps the water suitable for the fish to live in. The waterwheel starts to turn at exactly three o' clock until eight in the evening."

"Speaking of which, where are your sons?" asked Mouri.

"They're at their own rooms," said Reiko-san. "They'll join us for lunch later on. In the meantime, do you want to go to the storage house?"

"Yes!" cried Conan and Ran.

They went downstairs and headed for the bridge that connected the house to the storage house. Reiko-san opened the door and shelves full of fish food were shown to them. The three guests also saw three aquariums with two fish each. Ran and Conan instantly went to the aquariums to look at the fishes. 'Wow!' Conan thought. 'I feel like I joined the school field trip!'

After taking a tour inside, they went out and headed for the main house. Along the way, Conan noticed that fishes were staying away from the waterwheel, as if a person was there.

They went to the dining room where the two sons, Natsuand Matsuko greeted them along withAzami-san. They had a conversation as they ate through their lunch. "Sugawara-san," said Mouri. "What is the real reason you invited me here? It feels like there's a case and you want me to investigate."

Reiko-san chuckled. "There's no case, Mouri-san. I really wanted you to come over and give you something as a 'thank you' gift for helping me many years ago."

"What is it?"

"You'll find out later."

Natsu-san had a mischievous grin and decided to spoil everything. "Oto-san wants to give you a one-year supply of fish!" he announced. Everyone stared at him.

"Hontou?!" demanded Mouri.

Reiko-san sighed. "It looks like Natsu-kun ruined my surprise. Yes, I'm planning to give you a one-year supply of our fish here. Of course, you can choose one the many kinds here."

"Thank you!" cried Ran. "It would help in saving our budget."

"No need to thank me. I wanted to repay your father's kindness." Suddenly, he stood up, having finished eating. "I'll be in the storage room, I'll prepare the fishes that you'll choose from, Mouri-san."Kogoro nodded and Reiko-san went outside.

Once Conan finished eating, he went near the balcony and dialed Heiji through his phone. "Hattori, you there?" he asked.

"Yo, Kudo!" Heiji answered. "What's up?"

"Kaito wanted to tell you something."

"If he is asking for help in a case, I don't want to help! Let him solve it himself!"

Conan sweat-dropped. 'And you were the one who wanted the three of us to solve cases,' he said in his thoughts. "No, it's not about that. He wants me, Ran, and occhan to go to his mansion next Saturday. He also wants you and Kazuha-chan to come along."

"I won't turn down an offer like that! Okay, I'll tell Kazuha about it. No doubt she'll want to go, and she also wants to meet Ran-chan's twin there."

"Hattori, I won't deny it, but I'm kind of excited to see what his room looks like. Not his bedroom, of course. The room where he keeps his costumes and gadgets."

"Yeah, me too. That thief better not try to screw up. I'm hoping to see what gadgets does he use during his heists."

"So, are you doing anything right now?"

"Yeah! I'm –" his sentence cut off, but he managed to speak again after a few seconds. "Sorry, Kudo, but I'm gonna have to hang up. I was practicing Kendo for the day and it was my break time when you called. Looks like I have to get back to training. See ya!"

"Bye." As he turned off his phone, Ran walked into the room with Natsu-san and Matsuko-san. Conan suspected that something might be going on between the three of them, so he decided to investigate. But, surprisingly, he wasn't feeling any jealousy at the moment. Instead, he felt concern for his childhood friend. He may have moved on from his false feelings for Ran, but that doesn't mean he can't make her happy. He wanted Ran to be happy with the perfect guy. In other words, he's trying to save her from false love and a broken heart.

"Do you want to go to the bay later on?" asked Matsuko-san. "It's fun to take a walk in the sand and ride our boat!"

"Oh," replied Ran. "I'm not sure, maybe we would go home after oto-san receives his one-year supply of fish."

Natsu-san spoke up. "Don't worry! Just tell your old man that you'll be gone for a while. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience!"

Conan decided to take action. "Ran-neechan," the three looked at him. "We can always go back here, and we have to go home later on. Don't go, please?" She rests her chin on her hand and thought about it. Conan silently hoped for a million times that she would say "no." Then, she smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.

"If you're just jealous that you can't go, you're wrong, Conan-kun." He raised an eyebrow. "You can come with us." He gave an annoyed look and silently cursed the two teens in front of him.

'I was trying to make you refuse, Ran!' Conan yelled in his mind. 'Oh, well. At least I can stop those two from making advances on her since I'm coming as well.' Conan grinned widely. "Arigato, Ran-neechan."

 **3:08 P.M.**

Matsuko-san whined in defeat yet again after Conan beat him for the 19th time in the videogame "Tekken 7". They were in the living room, playing Matsuko-san's videogames that started from 1:32 P.M. Apparently, Matsuko-san wanted to humiliate Conan with his skill in playing videogames after lunch, so he invited the boy and Ran to the living room where his PlayStation 4 was. The teen challenged the young detective in a contest to see who's the better gamer, and Conan agreed. Before, Tekken 7, there was NBA, WWE, FIFA, Call of Duty, and Assassin's Creed. Conan emerged undefeated from everything. 2-6-3-5-3 was Conan's score over him. His 19 wins in Tekken helped humiliate Matsuko-san even further. "Can't we go to the bay yet, oneesan?" Matsuko-san asked to his brother, who was enjoying watching the contest along with Ran. "I'm getting really pissed off by this kid here!" Conan laughed at him. "Kuso! How could I be beaten by a kid?"

"Then, it's settled!" announced Natsu-san. "I'm just going to take a bath then we'll be off. Got it, little bro?" Matsuko-san nodded. With that, Natsu-san went out the room.

"By the way, Matsuko-san," said Ran. "How old are you and your brother?"

"Oh, I'm 18 years old. Onee-san's 21."

"How long does he take a bath?"

"He typically bathes for about thirty minutes. But he can be up to an hour sometimes."

 **Forty minutes later…**

Natsu-san walked back the room where the balcony was and he saw Matsuko-san chatting with Ran, Conan, andAzami-san. Mouri was conversing with his mom. He went to his brother. "Matsuko, come on, let's go."

His little brother shook his head. "Give me a few more minutes, can't you see I'm talking with Ran-san?"

"Hey, don't tell me you're trying to win her love!" bellowed Natsu-san, which caused everyone inside to look at him in confusion. "We asked her to come with us to the bay and now you're going to take advantage if the situation right now just to win her?!"

Matsuko-san answered him with an annoyed look. "What's with you today? I think something's wrong with your brain. Are you jealous or something?! Don't worry! I wasn't planning to make a move on her if that's what you're thinking, oneesan."

"WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MATSUKO?! DON'T ASSUME THINGS!" Mouri and Etsuko-san stood up and held Natsu-san, who had a dangerous intent in his eyes, while Azami-san and Ran kept Matsuko-san in his place.

"Hey, calm down, both of you!" said Mouri. Once Natsu-san stopped struggling, Etsuko-san sighed in relief.

"You two should apologize to each other at once!" shrieked Etsuko-san. The two brothers looked threw threatening glares at each other. "Taku, why do you two always fight over such little things?" She stood up and walked to the balcony and watched the pond. "I wonder what your father would –" Her eyes were filled with fear. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" she screamed, walking backwards until she fell on the floor, looking terrified.

"Etsuko-san! What is it?!" asked Mouri. With shivering hands, she pointed to the balcony, and everyone followed where she was pointing at. Everyone was in shock after what met their eyes. The head of Reiko-san was hanging from a rope. And his lifeless face could be seen from a small window near the roof.

"Tou-san!" screamed Matsuko-san and Natsu-san. Conan growled in annoyance and ran towards the bridge to the storage house with everyone following. Mouri tried to open the front door, to no avail.

"Kuso! Etsuko-san!" Mouri called. The wife stepped forward. "Are there any other entrances to this storage house?" She shook her head. "Then I guess I'll have to break down this door then." Mouri tackled the door four times before it opened. Then the body of Reiko-san hanging from a beam in the ceiling appeared before them. Kogoro moved towards the body and checked for a pulse. "Ran! Call the police. He's dead."

"No!" cried Etsuko-san.

"Tou-san…" whispered Natsu-san.

Conan gritted his teeth and started looking for clues. He looked at the body. 'He doesn't have any shoes or sandals on. If this was a suicide, he could've used a chair or something as elevation. All right, time to use my magnifying glass.' He brought out his MG (short for you know…) and started scanning all three chairs inside the room. When he checked all three, there were no footprints on any of the three. He put back his MG in his pocket and smirked. 'So, this was a murder. And the culprit could be Azami-san, Etsuko-san, Matsuko-san, and Natsu-san.' He went outside the house and leaned on the wooden railings surrounding the shack. 'When Reiko-san left after lunch, all of us except for Azami-san were still at the dining room. When I played videogames with Matsuko-san, Ran and Natsu-san were with us. Surely, occhan was with Etsuko-san and Azami-san was in the kitchen alone. If Reiko-san was killed during that time, it would make Etsuko-san and Azami-san the possible suspects.'

"Is that you, Conan-kun?" a gruff voice said, separating Conan from his thoughts.

"Yokomizo-keiji?" the boy asked.

"If you're here, then Mouri-san is here as well?" Conan nodded and pointed to the shack. Yokomizo-keiji went inside and saw the best person he could count on during a case. "Mouri-san, I'm glad to see you again!"

"I'm not glad at all to see you," replied Kogoro. "Anyway, since you're here, the body's there." The detective pointed to Reiko-san's lifeless body that was lying on the floor, covered with a huge blue blanket. "He was hanging from a rope that was tied to the beam at the ceiling of this shack, and I took him down."

"So do you think it's a suicide?"

"I'm not sure, there's something bothering me about this incident."

'Crap! I need to make them know that this is not a suicide!' Conan thought, listening to the conversation. He went inside and took off his sneakers, then started to laugh like a child.

"Conan-kun!" Ran called. "What are you doing?"

The boy smiled and stomped on the floor. "This is fun to do, Ran-neechan! I like it better when I'm not wearing my shoes." Everyone looked at him. Seeing that he now has everyone's attention, he then looked down at where he stood. "Ah-le-le? Looks like I left my footprints here. They'll stay there until they get cleaned up." Kogoro's eyes widened and looked at the victim once more. Reiko-san was barefoot. He looked at the three chairs inside the house, which were being examined by forensics.

"Were there footprints on these chairs?" Kogoro asked.

"T-there weren't!" answered the three.

Mouri crossed his arms and smirked. Yokomizo-keiji went to him and asked, "Mouri-kun, have you found something out?"

"Reiko-san was barefoot when we found him, if he were to hang himself, he'll need elevation so he could jump. However, there were no footprints on the three chairs there. In other words, this is no suicide. This is a murder." Everyone was in shock. "And the culprit is one of you four!" He pointed to Etsuko-san, Matsuko-san, Natsu-san, and Azami-san.

Conan went out of the house and started to process everything in his thoughts again. 'While he's busy making his deductions, I'll solve the truth of this case. Going back to what I was thinking earlier, if he was killed while I was playing videogames, Azami-san or Etsuko-san could be the culprit. But, the body wasn't there when we were at the balcony again. How did it happen?' He cut off his own thoughts when he saw something thick behind the waterwheel. He crossed the bridge and went over to the shack's left side, where the waterwheel was placed. He looked behind the rotating wheel and he notciced that the left window of the shack and the wheel were in a straight line, so he gave a smirk. 'So this is how he did it. Without a doubt, _that_ person is the culprit! But I can't put occhan to sleep without more evidence.' He went back to the bridge where he saw something dark on the wood itself. 'Bingo. This side of the bridge is the entrance to the house, which means these were created when he went back. All right, time to sleep, occhan.'He saw an officer going back to the shack and Conan stopped him. He started to whisper something to the man.

"Mouri-tantei asked me to do so?" he asked and Conan boy then went back to the shack and saw that Kogoro and Yokomizo-keiji were directly in front of the suspects, hinting that the two could be interrogating them. He fired a needle towards Mouri's neck and the detective fell asleep in a sitting position.

"Yokomizo-keiji," Mouri called. The inspector turned to him. "You don't need to interrogate them, I already figured out who the culprit is."

"Nani?!" Everyone's eyes widened. "Who is the murderer?"

"I'll get to that later. When the victim was killed, he was called out from the house and the murderer knocked him out unconscious. He then took Reiko-san inside and prepared a murder trick using a long rope."

"A rope?!"

"Yeah. The waterwheel at the left side of this storage room was an important factor in this case. The rope was there to begin with. The culprit knew that the wheel would start to rotate at three in the afternoon, so I suspect that he collected lots of ropes for this trick. He tied the rope around Reiko-san's neck, passed the rope over the beam and through the left window. The end of the rope from the waterwheel was cut off in the railings out the window, and he tied the two ropes together. Thus, forming one rope. He locked the door after and left. When the wheel finally got the body to be lifted, it was pushed up until the beam and due to the tightness of the rope around Reiko-san's neck, it was enough to kill him. A cut that was measured beforehand broke the ropes apart again, and the wheel started to reel in the remains. And so, the body would be visible to our eyes from the small window near the roof."

"So that's how the trick works. Anybody could have done it!"

"The culprit went back to the house. And to my surprise, he acted really strange earlier. So strange that I had to look away from the shack."

"But Mouri-san," said Etsuko-san. "Nobody used the bridge ever since my husband crossed it. Even if the murderer used it, how come did we not see him?"

"Can't you use the other side?" Widened eyes were everywhere. Then, Etsuko-san gasped. "Exactly, the culprit used that blind spot. He went to the bushes near the bridge and swam his way to the shack. He called out Reiko-san and knocked him out unconscious. Then, he used the rope trick and swam back to the house."

"I see!" yelled Yokomizo-keiji. "He must've been wet! Both hair and body!"

"Correct. And to trick us, he took a bath to get rid of the water from his body. And that would be you, Natsu-san!" The teen looked at him with a glare. "When he saw that Matsuko-san was talking with Ran, he immediately started a fight between brothers. He shouted so loud that it reached the point where me and his mother had to stop him. It was probably because he didn't want us to see the moment Reiko-san's body was lifted."

"What an interesting deduction, Mouri-san," said Natsu-san. "But you don't have –"

"Mouri-san!" the officer from before came. "The thing that you asked for was there!" He showed a photo to Yokomizo-keiji. In the picture was the wooden legs of the bridge with the bushes. And there was something dark stuck to the bridge.

"Are-are this handprints?!" shouted the inspector.

"Handprints. It's from the moss of the pond. I figured that if someone went there, handprints would be found."

"There were so many handprints!" the officer continued. "I think we may be able to get fingerprints!"

Yokomizo-keiji turned to Natsu-san. "Natsu-san, may we have your fingerprints?"

The eldest son sighed and shook his head. "Don't bother, I was the one who killed oto-san." Gasps were heard across the house, especially Matsuko's and Etsuko's.

"You admit it?"

Natsu-san nodded. "He has always despised me and he'd always refuse if I ask for money. I did everything that he wanted me to do just so I could make him proud of me. But he only said it just so he could enjoy watching me suffer. He was the worst father ever. You thought he was a good man, but in my eyes, he wasn't. Mouri-san, you shouldn't have saved him from innocence twelve years ago… it would've been better to just visit him in prison instead of living a real hell with him."

"Natsu-san, fish migrate during summer, when it is hot. The fish may have known that you were the one who set up the rope in the waterwheel, so they swam away from it. That's what led me to seeing the rope behind the wheel. And it may have also led me to suspecting you. But you must understand that the fish here loved you. They've been around ever since you were born, and they know you so well. Perhaps they wanted you to learn your lesson." Hearing this, Natsu-san fell to his knees and tears flowed out of his eyes.

As they watched the police cars drive away, Etsuko-san approached the Ran, Kogoro, and Conan, who were about to leave as well. "I'm really sorry for what happened today. I'll still send the one-year supply of fish to you, so don't worry. Have a safe trip back home!" The three waved their hands goodbye as they walked towards the train station.

 **Tomorrow…**

Ran, Conan, and Sonoko were walking around the park early. Ran called her best friend earlier, saying that she wanted some time with her, since they haven't had some time together after the incident at the Department Store. She brought Conan along, because she thought that he would feel lonely at the agency since Kogoro was still sleeping.

"So you got a huge supply of fish at your house, huh?" said Sonoko.

"Yeah, we're pretty lucky!" said Ran.

"You should've let me tag along as well, I could've solved the case faster than oji-san. And then I could've had a one-year supply of fish," said Sonoko, who was whining.

'Hehe. You'll never be faster than me Sonoko.' Conan thought with an evil grin on his face. "Sonoko-neechan, I think that Shinichi-neechan is still better than you!" he said. Both girls stopped walking. "I think he can solve cases faster than you can imagine!" Sonoko felt anger dwelling inside her, before letting it all out as she chased Conan. Ran watched in amusement while Conan screamed for help.

A dark figure from the trees was watching them. He brought his phone up to his ears. "Shall I take the target now?" he asked.

"Change of plan, Mizuchi," replied the receiver.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here...**_

 ** _"Go for his friends!"_**

 ** _"What were you talking about yesterday?"_**

 ** _"Stay away from her!"_**

 ** _"I'm staying for good."_**

 ** _CHAPTER 18: SONOKO IN TROUBLE_**


	18. Sonoko in Trouble

_**Well, looks like it wasn't a long wait for this chapter. Good thing I was able to sacrifice a day of my weekend just to write this. Thanks for continuing on supporting me on this story! Credits to YELLOW JACKET PRIDE, due to her stories, I was able to come up with new ideas for this story's romance. If there's a reader out there who is a friend of her, tell her I said thanks. And remember what I said about having a lemon in this story? FORGET IT. I am making this lemon-free, for the sake of younger audiences. I hope you understand, guys. See you in the next chapter and love you all!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't like to repeat myself…**_

* * *

Sonoko gave up on chasing the little detective after running for five minutes straight. She settled down on a bench alongside Ran, panting heavily. "Sonoko, you shouldn't have worn yourself out," said Ran.

"Blame that gaki," replied Sonoko. "He forced me to chase him all over the place."

"No offense, but I think Conan-kun is right. You haven't even outrun Shinichi in solving a case."

"Do you really think so?"

"I don't want to sound harsh, but I think it's the truth."

"Hmph. Then I guess I have to work harder in investigating."

Conan sat at a bench opposite to where Ran and Sonoko was, also panting heavily. He brought out his phone and dialed the former thief. Kaito answered his call and he could hear the detective panting loudly. "Are you tired or something, Shinichi?" he asked.

"Sorry… I… was just chased… for five minutes straight… by Sonoko…"

"Oh, Ran-san's friend? And why was she chasing you in the first place?"

"I told her that Shinichi is a better detective than her. Apparently, it's true since I'm the one who puts her to sleep and solves a case."

"You know, you speak as though you are not Shinichi. You talk like you are a different person. I'm getting creeped out."

"Sorry… like I said, I've gotten used to being a kid again. I don't feel like I'll be transforming back into my old self. And I don't feel like I want to."

"Okay, so why did you call?"

"Just wanted to greet you. Are you sure you want us to go there this Saturday?"

"Yes, of course. Did you thought that I lied?"

"No, I'm just confirming things. Anyway, you better tell your girlfriend there that Ran's dying to meet her 'twin'. There's also Kazuha-chan, so I guess you should inform her that we're going there in advance."

"Okay, I'll tell Aoko. Anything else you want to talk about?"

"Have you solved a case yet?"

"No, not yet. I'm not like you, Shinichi. Everywhere you go, there's a case that is bound to happen. I just retired from being a magician, and I'm just a beginner."

Conan decided to give him a few words of encouragement. "And that's why me and Hattori are going there, right? Since you said that cases are most likely to happen whenever I'm around, a crime could be committed there."

"Yeah, thanks again, Shinichi. I owe you."

"Yeah, you sure do. Later."

"Bye." Conan ended the call, turned off his phone and joined Ran and Sonoko at the opposite bench. The dark figure in the trees were still staring at the three of them, and his call was still active.

"Go for his friends!" said the receiver. The man who was called "Mizuchi" ended his call and put his phone back in his pocket. He moved easily through the trees so he could get a better view of the three. Conan heard some rustling in the bushes near the trees, but when he turned to look at them, nothing was there. He thought it was just his imagination and continued on going to Ran and Sonoko.

"Ran-neechan, I'm starving!" cried Conan. "Can we please buy some snacks?"

"Sure thing, Conan-kun," replied Ran. She stood up and took a glance at her best friend. "Just stay here, Sonoko. Conan-kun and I are just going to buy ourselves some food." Sonoko nodded and the pair took off.

Getting bored even after only a minute, she brought out her phone and dialed her long-distance boyfriend. 'Pick up, please pick up,' she hoped to herself. When her call was answered, she was relieved. "How are you, Makoto-san?"

"Ah, Sonoko-chan," he replied. "Doing fine, just beat up four guys earlier on my way home."

She gasped. "Why? Are you hurt? Is everything okay?"

"Of course I'm okay, who do you think you're talking to?"

"All right, I get that, but why would you beat up four guys? Did they do something to you?"

"Well, they were forcing me to give them money, which led me to thinking they were drunk. But they weren't, and proceeded to circle around me, so I beat them all up. I presumed they were robbers, so I called for both the ambulance and police."

"I'm glad you're okay. When are you coming back? I miss you," she said with a sniffle, which led to Makoto thinking that she was crying.

Seeing that he now has a chance, Mizuchi stepped out of the trees and treaded quickly, carefully, and quietly to the bench where Sonoko was sitting. He took out a handkerchief with the scent of chloroform out of his pocket and put it over the girl's mouth and nose, making her unconscious. He carried the girl on his back, and he first scanned the area around him to make sure nobody has seen what he was doing. Seeing none, he left while the girl dropped her phone on the bench. Her call was still active. "And that's it," Makoto continued. He waited for her response, but got none. "Hello? Sonoko-chan? Anybody there?" Still, nobody answered. He ended the call and rests his chin on his hand. 'Why didn't she answer me? She couldn't be angry with me, her voice earlier sounded like she missed me. Something strange is going on here.'

 **At Ekoda High School…**

Just as Conan ended the call, Kaito was taking a walk around the school grounds, thinking about what his purple-haired friend failed to tell him yesterday. 'What was Akako going to tell me yesterday? It sounded like she was going to tell me something about herself.' He then saw the unmistakable hair of Akako Koizumi at a bench. She had her knees pressed to her chest and her head was down on her crossed arms, which made him presume that she was crying. He instantly ran to her and patted her shoulder. "Hey, Akako," he said in a comforting voice. "Stop crying, it doesn't suit you. I'd rather see you with your smirks and your stereotypical laugh. Those are the unique things about you." She didn't respond at all. He shook her gently. "Come on, stop crying, Akako." She then raised her head and yawned.

She looked up at him with half-opened eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Why did you wake me up?" she asked in a bored voice. "Can't you see I'm sleeping?"

Kaito immediately moved his hand away while blushing. "You weren't crying?"

She scoffed. "Why the heck would I cry?" she replied with a "duh" tone.

"It's because of your position earlier. Your head was on your arms and your legs were pressed to your chest, so don't blame me. You made me think that you were crying."

She crossed her arms and smirked. "Don't you want to sit down? It's pretty exhausting to just stand there."

He noticed that her legs were still pressed to her chest. What's more, she was wearing a skirt, so his eyes caught a glimpse of white cloth underneath her skirt. He blushed and immediately looked away while whistling. He sat down next to her trying to erase the memory of seeing either her shorts or panties. In other words, he's trying his best not to be a pervert. 'Come on me! Take it out of your mind!' he shouted to himself in his mind.

Akako noticed that his head was shaking and his hands were going out of control. She raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong, Kuroba-kun? You look flushed." He didn't respond. Out of concern, she puts a hand on his shoulder which made him jump back into reality.

He suddenly faced her that made her hand jump back to her. "I'M SORRY, AKAKO! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" he shouted in a voice that was enough to startle her. She was now staring wide-eyed at him in confusion.

"Sorry for what?" she finally asked. That was enough to return him to his normal state.

"What?"

She smirked. "You were saying 'sorry' earlier, and that I should forgive you. Is there something that you did? What did you do?"

His face turned as red as a tomato. "Nothing," he immediately said. He sat down normally while looking away from her. 'What am I gonna do when she finds out? I am so dead. Think, Kaito, think! What would Shinichi do? What would Heiji do?'

"Want to talk?" she asked. He looked at her and nodded. "What do you want to talk about?"

Kaito decided to drop the incident and remembered that she was going to tell him something yesterday and decided that it was now the time to ask her what was it. "Say, Akako…" She stared at him. "Remember what happened yesterday? You bag was robbed, and you were almost gotten hit by a truck?" She nodded. "Then I saved you and when the ambulance got there, they laid you on a stretcher. You were saying, 'Kuroba-kun, I… I…', her face was getting redder by the second. "I… I want to know what were you going to say. What were you talking about yesterday?"

After he spoke, Akako's face was as red as blood. But she still managed to speak. "I was g-going to say that I… I…" she was looking at every corner and she was starting to sweat. "I… I… I want to thank you for saving my life!" she said with a fake smile which made him raise an eyebrow in confusion. "If it wasn't for you, Kuroba-kun, I would've been a goner!"

He crossed his arms and replied with a smirk of his own. "Akako, that fake smile of yours won't work on me. Just tell me the truth, you can tell me anything."

She puts her hands on her hips and faced him. "So you think I'm lying? Is that what you're saying?"

"I wasn't thinking, I know that you are lying." He was starting to enjoy this particular moment with his classmate. He knows her as cold and sarcastic, but he has just found out for himself that she was also fun to be with.

She goes back to a normal sitting position. "Fine, you got me. I was lying." He was starting to get eager at what she is going to say. "I was going to say that I love you." His eyes widened in both astonishment and curiosity. Seeing that she got the answer she wanted from him, her lips formed a smirk and she closed her eyes. "Just kidding. Ohohohohoho…"

Kaito frowned. 'This girl… she just likes to make fun of people. Wait a minute… was she lying?' He inspected her laughing face and he sighed in relief. 'Guess she is.' He got separated from his thoughts when he heard someone's voice calling his name.

"KAITO!" Both of them turned to the person screaming, and it was Aoko Nakamori. Kaito felt happiness because he would be able to spend time with his best friend. Akako felt sadness because she was enjoying the rare moment where she herself would spent alone time with the boy she likes. She also felt jealousy at the same time since Aoko's relationship with Kaito is closer than hers. But she knew to herself that there's nothing she could do about it, so she stood up from the bench and Kaito looked at her.

"Looks like Nakamori-san's here, Kuroba-kun," she said while her bangs were covering her eyes. Her eyes that showed jealousy. "Thank you for your time today, it was fun being with you. See you at school tomorrow." She turned to leave and when she heard Kaito standing up from the bench, she started to run. Tears were flowing from the sides of her face.

"Wait, Akako!" he screamed, but she continued to run. He sighed and puts his hands in his pockets. Aoko stood beside him.

"Was that Akako-chan?" she asked, earning a nod from him. "Why was she running away?"

"I don't know. That girl has her own world. I was just going to thank her as well, but then, she just runs off like an idiot. Sometimes, I can't really understand her."

"I think you should talk to her tomorrow, and help her out with whatever situation she's in."

"I don't know, but I'll try." He looked at Aoko for a second, and he let out a wide grin. "Want to go to the park? I'll treat you to some ramen." She nodded with an eye smile and they went off in the same direction where Akako just ran. Kaito noticed that a part of the ground was wet in front of him, and it was only a small circle. 'This is the direction where Akako ran through,' he thought as they passed the wet ground and when he looked in front, more wet circles on the ground met his eyes. 'Why is the ground wet? It wasn't wet when I first got here.' An idea went to his head. 'Could she have really been crying?!' he thought as an image of a running Akako Koizumi in tears appeared in his mind.

"Hey, Kaito!" said Aoko which brought back her friend to the real world. "What were you thinking? Your face looked like you were trying to figure something out."

"Don't worry, it's nothing," he replied with a grin. Seeing that Aoko is no longer focused on him, he shifted his attention back to Akako. 'Something's definitely going on with her for the past few days. If she was really crying, I don't care if she answers me with sarcastic replies. I'll find out the truth about her.'

 **Back at Beika Park…**

Ran and Conan came back with the boy holding an ice cream cone and the girl holding two. They were shocked to see that Sonoko wasn't there. "Where did Sonoko run off to?" said Ran.

Conan saw a cellphone at the bench. He immediately went there while Ran followed closely. "Ran-neechan, this phone is Sonoko-neechan's, right?" he pointed to the gadget on the bench and looked at Ran. She nodded. 'She wouldn't leave without her phone. And she wouldn't leave without telling us first. Then this could only mean one thing. Sonoko was kidnapped.' He looked at Ran, who had a worried expression on her face and she was looking everywhere. "Ran-neechan, I think Sonoko-neechan was kidnapped."

Ran looked at him. "Hontou?" she asked. "What makes you think so, Conan-kun?"

"Look at her phone, Ran-neechan. If she wanted to leave, she could never forget her phone. And what's more, if she really wanted to leave, she could've told us first!"

"Okay, I get it! I'll find a phone booth and talk to the police. I swear I'll find my best friend!" She then ran off, giving the boy an opportunity to find some clues.

'Now that Ran's gone, I can look for clues.' He took out both his handkerchief and MG. He scanned the phone for fingerprints, but he only found one variation. 'So the kidnapper was wearing gloves… come to think of it, I kind of saw a dark figure in the bushes earlier. Maybe that was him. Could it be that?!' He put the phone in his pocket and went to the trees where he last saw the dark figure and saw footprints in the grass there. 'So there was someone here. And I think that it was another rogue member. Why didn't he take me instead?' He sat back down on the bench and scratched his chin, then an idea went through his head. He opened her phone and checked her message history. When he saw that the last message she sent was three hours ago, he switched to the call history. 'Three hours ago… it couldn't be. We were away for like ten minutes.' When he checked the call history, Kyugoku Makoto was the last person she called, just four minutes ago. 'So he was the last person she dialed? I see. Now I just need to tell Ran about this.'

Ran went back just as Conan turned off Sonoko's phone. "Conan-kun," she spoke out between pants. "Police are… on the… way…" He got off the bench, reached into his pocket and pulled out what seemed to be eyeglasses in Ran's eyes. A spare glasses for him and he stretched out his hand, trying to give it to her. "What are you doing, Conan-kun?"

"Ran-neechan, this glasses has a tracking device that can track specific transmitters planted on anything," Conan explained. "This can also track my Detective Boys badge, so I'm asking you to put on these glasses."

"What are you planning, Conan-kun?" she asked with anger evident in her voice.

"I'm going to find Sonoko-neechan. You wait for the police to arrive and then lead them to where I am by following the glasses' directions."

She puts her hands on her hips and glared at the boy. "Bakane! We'll find Sonoko together! You're sticking with me, I can't let anything bad happen to you." Conan just stared at her with a blank face. She massaged her forehead and sighed. "You know, you're being like that detective geek, Shinichi. You just want to show off in front of your girlfriend, don't you? Because what you said is just what he would also say if he was in your situation right now!"

Conan looked at the ground. 'I understand you, Ran. But our friend's sake is what matters right now.' He looked back at her with a demanding look. "Ran-neechan, if we don't act now, it might be too late for Sonoko-neechan." The statement was enough to make Ran realize that her friend is in great danger. "It's going to be all right, Ran-neechan. Now please put on these glasses and wait for the police to come." With shaking hands, she takes the glasses from his little brother's hand and puts it on her face.

"You're right, Conan-kun," she said as a few tears flowed from her eyes. "For Sonoko." He nodded then he took the cellphone, and put it back in his pocket. Before he could take a step away, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Just promise me that you'll be okay, Conan-kun?" He nodded as he ran off. 'He really is like him,' Ran thought as she watched the boy.

 **Meanwhile…**

At the Agasa residence, both Kazuko and Ai were sitting on the couch. The cold girl was reading her magazines, while the rich girl was staring hopelessly at the door. Ai noticed that she has been staring for almost fifteen minutes and decided to know what was wrong. "Why are you staring at the door, Nomura-san?" she asked. "Are you waiting for it to move on itself?"

Kazuko faced her. "No, it's just that I'm waiting to see if Shinichi-kun will visit us today," she said. "I'm bored as hell."

"Seems to me like he won't. He maybe currently solving a case. He'll just visit tomorrow, since we have no school. Since you have the money, why don't you go out and have fun? Just make sure to bring home some food."

Kazuko raised an eyebrow at her, not because of what she said, it's because of her relationship towards Conan. "Hey, Ai-chan?" Her friend turned to her. "I know I shouldn't be meddling with your lovelife, but how did you fall in love with Shinichi-kun? I know he looks handsome and it's cool to see him solve cases, but there must be a real reason on how you fell in love with him."

Ai looked at her for a few seconds, then she closed the magazine she was reading. "He's the one who changed me. He made me realize that I'm not who I think I am. I'm not the murderer that the organization created." Ai flashed her rare smile. "Even though I was the one who made the drug that ruined his life, he still accepted me. He still fought by my side, and he kept on protecting me even if it means going to hell back and forth. Even if I try to kill myself many times, he will always find a way to stop me from doing so." Kazuko's eyes were widening in astonishment. "Those are the reasons why I fell in love with him. But the day when I've truly fallen for him is during the time when I turned back for the first time into my original form. It was at the rooftop Haido hotel, and I was cornered by two members of the organization. I was ready to die, and they were about to shoot me, when I heard Shinichi's voice near the door, telling me to go to the chimney. While the two members, Gin and Vodka were shooting at the door, I let myself fall down the chimney. I then turned back to my child form. Then, Pisco, another member, found me there. He was also about to kill me when Shinichi kicked a soccerball that hit him at the back of his neck. After that, I passed out."

"Woah, you may be the luckiest girl alive right now. Only a few guys would go through that just to save the one they love."

"Maybe. But back then, I've assumed that he only likes Mouri-san, so I kept my feelings hidden. I feel uncomfortable around her all the time. I only found out that he also had feelings for me last month. We were on a trip to Hawaii, but when we were en route back to Tokyo, our ship started to sink. All of our companions were able to get into a lifeboat, but he stayed behind so he could protect me. Because the boats could only hold 10 people, and if me and Shinichi get in also, it would be 11. And that's when he confessed his feelings for me."

"Your sister would be proud of you, you know? You were able to find love and be loved even though you were once a member of the syndicate. If she was alive right now, she'll tell you how proud she is."

Ai felt tears building up in her eyes. "Yeah, I guess." Then she stood up and slowly walked towards the basement. "I'm going to continue working on the antidote." She stopped at the stairs and looked at Kazuko. "Are you going out?"

"No, thanks. I think I'm just going to read my pocketbooks. Your love story just got to me." Ai smirked and continued downstairs. 'How do you do it, Shinichi-kun?' Kazuko thought to herself. 'You have such a way with words. You were able to turn a cold devil of hate into a kind angel of love. You're starting to impress me even more.'

Sonoko woke up and she noticed that her hands were tied. She tried to look around but it was too dark. Then the door in front of her opened and she saw a dark figure switched the lights on. The guy that met her eyes was a teenage boy that looked like he's in his twenties. He wore a hooded jacket and there was a big scar across his left cheek. He crossed his arms and smirked. "Are you being comfortable?" he asked.

Sonoko looked at herself and saw that she was sitting on a chair. Her hands were tied behind her back. "Who are you and why are you doing this?!" she asked, getting a little desperate.

"Who I am is of no importance. I took you away so that I could lure him here."

"Who's him? Who the heck are you talking about?!"

"You know who I'm talking about!" he screamed back. "The boy who was with you earlier! The high school tantei, Kudo Shinichi!"

What the man said made Sonoko's eyes shot open with shock and disbelief. 'I-it can't be!' she thought to herself. 'H-how can Conan-kun be Shinichi-kun?! It's impossible!' "Are you blind?! How can he be Shinichi-kun?! Conan-kun is just a kid!"

He then walked closer to her. "Ah, so you don't know what really happened. Well, let me give you a refresher. You see, he was caught spying on a secret transaction of the notorious Black Organization. Two of their members knocked him out but instead of killing him with a gun, he was fed a drug. That drug should have killed him, but it turned him into a kid instead!"

Sonoko's eyes were as wide as it could be upon hearing the truth. 'No, it can't be! If it's true, then Shinichi-kun was with us all along! That was the reason he separated from Ran during their trip to Tropical Land! He may be the one behind the "Sleeping Kogoro"! But I can't confirm it with him unless I get out of here. I need to find a way out somehow.' "What are you going to do if he does come here?! And what makes you think he can even find us here?!"

He scoffed. "With a brain like his, I can bet that he's on his way here right now. And when he does come here, what I'm gonna do is very obvious. Of course I'll kill him. Then I'm gonna put you away next to keep your mouth shut."

Sonoko could feel tears building up in her eyes. "No! Don't hurt him! Please! He's just a kid!"

"You don't get it, do you?! He isn't a kid! He's –" his sentence was cut off by a voice louder than his.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" The kidnapper turned around and was met by another guy. This time, the guy was wearing sunglasses to hide his face.

"Well, well, well, looks like we got here a savior," he said, looking at Sonoko. "And who exactly do you think you are?!"

The man took off his sunglasses, exposing his identity. Sonoko's eyes widened upon what she saw. "Makoto-san?!"

"I'm her boyfriend," said Makoto. "Leave her alone, she has nothing to do with this, and face me instead."

"Let me think about it. My answer is… NO!" The kidnapper lunged forward, ready to strike; but Makoto spun around and delivered a swift kick to his jaw, sending him crashing to the wall. Makoto turned his attention to Sonoko, and quickly untied the binds that were holding her.

"Makoto-san, why are you here and how did you find me?" she asked.

"I saw you earlier."

"What?! How?"

 **Flashback**

 _The kidnapper was looking nervously everywhere, his eyes traveling to every corner. Sonoko was still unconscious on his back. He had to go through a bus stop. Almost everyone there was looking at him. So he decided to lessen the suspicion. "Man, sweetie, you have got to lessen your alcohol," he said. "Now you want me to carry you all the way back? You owe me this time."_

 _A spiky-haired teen wearing sunglasses with two luggage looked at them suspiciously. When the two were gone, he spoke in a low voice. "Bro, can you take my luggage back to my house? I need to take care of something."_

 _Another boy who was with him spoke up. "Sure, anything for you, Makoto." Afterwards, Makoto went off to follow the kidnapper carrying Sonoko._

 **End of Flashback**

"Arigato, Makoto-san," said Sonoko. "I thought you were still overseas. Are you going to leave sooner or later?"

"No," replied Makoto. "I'm staying for good." Sonoko smiled but then turned into a shocked look, which prompted her boyfriend to look behind. The man had gotten up to his feet and was now aiming a pistol at them.

"Hate to break the reunion, but I think I need to take things forward," said the man, massaging his jaw. Makoto stepped forward but he aimed at Sonoko. "One more move and she gets it," he snarled.

"You don't have to do this," said Makoto.

"I'm sorry, but I really want to." He then flashed an evil grin, but it instantly turned into a shocked expression. "AAAAGGGHHHH!" he screamed in pain as he fell down on the floor. A soccer ball bounced near the door, but it deflated after a few seconds. A smirking kid with glasses was leaning on the doorway.

"Conan-kun?" said Sonoko.

"Are you alright, Sonoko-neechan?" he asked. She nodded. The sound of sirens were getting louder, indicating that the police were nearby.

"That's the building where Conan-kun stopped moving!" said Ran as she pointed to a twenty-story apartment. Takagi-keiji and Sato-keiji nodded as they led the police inside. Ran also went inside, and she noticed that Conan was in the parking lot using the glasses. She was starting to hear the boy's voice.

"And that was how I found you," was the last thing Conan said before Ran stepped inside the room. Tears built up in both Ran and Sonoko's eyes as they hugged each other. Conan and Makoto simply smiled at them.

"You had me so worried!" cried Ran. Sonoko, on the other hand, wasn't paying attention to her best friend at all. Her eyes were focused to Conan as she thought about what her kidnapper said a few minutes ago.

'Could that kid really be Shinichi-kun?' she thought to herself.

While the police still weren't around, he inspected the body, and started to look for an ID. Like what happened with Akira-san, he found the man's ID in his wallet. The codename "Mizuchi" was imprinted on it. 'I knew it. This syndicate just won't leave me alone. But if I'm being targeted, then Kaito and Hattori should have been targeted as well. Yet they speak like everything is okay. Something strange is going on here, and I'll find out what it is.' He put Mizuchi's ID in his pocket as he waited for the police to arrive.

The police arrested Mizuchi while Conan, Ran, Sonoko, and Makoto walked home together. "Ran, by the way," said Sonoko. "How did you find where we were?"

"Oh, that's because of Conan-kun," she replied. "He lent me a spare eyeglasses but it was in fact a tracker. Hakase made it for him, and it could track their so-called Detective Boys badge. I put it on, and then I just followed where Conan-kun went."

Sonoko raised an eyebrow at the little boy, who was walking cheerfully with his hands in his pockets. 'I need to find out the truth,' she said to herself. "Ran, can I borrow this gaki for a while? You go on ahead with Makoto-san, I just need to ask a few things to this kid." Conan raised an eyebrow at her in confusion on why would she ask him questions.

"Sure, just make sure you hurry up. We're eating lunch at my place." She and Makoto-san continued walking while Sonoko grabbed Conan's hand and walked to a nearby alley.

"Sonoko-neechan, why are we going to an alley?" the boy asked.

"You'll find out eventually." She cornered him at a brick wall and she stared at him blankly. "Conan-kun, I'm going to ask you a question."

"O-okay…" 'I don't like where this is going…' he thought to himself.

"Please answer me with the truth. I need to know the truth. If it must be kept a secret, fine I'll keep it to myself. I won't even tell Ran. If it's a secret that needs to be hidden, I'll go with that." Tears were starting to flow from her eyes, as Conan looked at her in concern. "So please just answer this one question…"

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Are you really Shinichi-kun?!"**_

 _ **"Apparently, you fell asleep in my house."**_

 _ **"What do you mean, 'not being what you're supposed to be'?"**_

 _ **"What made you choose Ai-chan instead of her?"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 19: SEPARATE WAYS**_


	19. Separate Ways

_**Well, look who decided to return. ME! First of all, YELLOW JACKET PRIDE is such an inspiration for me because of her wonderful stories! Even though she leaves them for a time, I haven't given up on supporting them because they are just too good to be ignored! Well, we have passed 18 chapters now and I've now beaten a fanfic I swore to defeat in the number of words! Well, actually it's two fanfics. That would be "Butler" and "A Warrior's Lament". Both are in the Kingdom Hearts universe and support them as well! They are also one of the fanfics that inspired me to get started with this. Thanks for the support! You guys are the best! I love you all! I also saw the views for this fanfic and I saw that it has passed 4k views! That's four times more views than my Wattpad. Because this fanfic only has, I think 163 views there. But this site is the best! I was going to try to make a NatsuxErza fanfic after I complete this, but I figured that this is far from over. I've already planned that this story will be going up to fifty chapters. I'll try to make every chapter more than 4k words to ensure that you guys will be satisfied with one chapter. Heck, I already made one with 7k words! But there's no denying that there might be chapters with just 2k words. I don't have that much ideas to add in this fanfic. It's also hard to think of what teasers am I going to use to introduce the next chapter. I'm trying to make an FB page about this fanfic so we could talk there. This story is also in Wattpad under the same name. And my username there is StarLord1120. You could also support me there. Write more reviews, please! It makes me more determined to write good chapters! Until then, see ya later, dudes!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I've killed a person very close to me yet I still don't own DC. *cough Mangekyo Sharingan cough* LOL**_

* * *

"Are you really, Shinichi-kun?!" cried Sonoko, who didn't care that tears were now flowing down her eyes. Conan just stared at her in disbelief and concern. He gulped, showing that he is scared over his identity getting blown up again. "Well?! Answer me, Conan-kun!"

Conan scratched the back of his head. "Look carefully, Sonoko-neechan," he replied. "I'm just a kid. How can I be Shinichi-neechan?"

"Stop playing games!" she shouted. "You just probably became a victim of some crazy science contraption or something! The man who took me earlier told me everything about you! That you were spying on some organization when you were with Ran at Tropical Land, then they got you! I want to know the truth, you gaki!"

'Yabe, this is really bad,' he thought to himself. 'That guy, if he didn't tell her…' "Do you have any proof, Sonoko-neechan?" The girl shot her eyes open while Conan shrugged and looked away. "Don't just go proposing things without any proof, Sonoko-neechan."

This made her pissed off. She knelt down to his eye level, grabbed both his shoulders and shook him back and forth. "I don't care! It's quite obvious that you're Shinichi-kun! You don't just meet a kid that can be compared to a high school detective in terms of intelligence, appearance, and being tone deaf. You ARE Shinichi-kun! I know it!" When she saw Conan about to open his mouth again, she stopped him by raising her voice even more. "Just admit it, Shinichi-kun! Don't you know how worried Ran and I are about you? We sometimes think that you are dead, but she keeps her hopes up all the time, saying that you're just on a hard case." This shut Conan up; he knew to himself that if he spoke any further, there would be trouble. "Weren't you the one who always said those famous words, 'Shinjitsu wa itsumo hitotsu!'" Hearing this made the boy's eyes shoot open. He sighed and gently shook her hands off his shoulders.

"Fine, I'll tell you the truth, Sonoko," he said in a more composed voice than his normal cheerful one. Her eyes were wide as they could possibly be as she lent her ears, desperate to figure out the truth. "You're right. I am Kudo Shinichi."

"Then that means the story that the kidnapper told me about you was true!"

Conan nodded. "As of now, only a few people know about who I really am. That would include my parents, Agasa-hakase, Hattori, and you. I'm also the one who's behind the 'Sleeping Kogoro', I put occhan to sleep with my tranquilizing wristwatch. Sometimes you."

"You were the one who's been making me solve cases?!" He nodded again. She then stood up and wiped her tears goodbye. "No one must know about this?" He nodded. "I'll keep it a secret between us, Shinichi-kun. Come on, we should be getting back." She held his hand as they walked back towards the agency.

Conan noticed that they were passing by Agasa-hakase's house. "Hey, Sonoko," he said.

"What is it, Shinichi-kun?" she replied.

"Two things. Just call me Shinichi when we are alone. It's too dangerous to even mention my name in public." She nodded. "Second, tell Ran that I'll be at Hakase's until nightfall. I'm going to visit Ai."

She decided to tease him a little bit. "Oh, so you're going to check up on your girlfriend, huh?" she said in a cheeky voice. "You're quite the boyfriend are you?" He just scoffed and smirked. "What made you choose her over Ran?"

Conan looked away and blushed. "Tch, it's none of your business."

A memory popped into Sonoko's head. "Oh, that's right, I was going to give you something, Shinichi-kun."

He raised his eyebrow. "Really? What is it that you're –" his sentence was cut off with a punch to his little arm, making him scream in pain. "AAAARRRGGGHHH! What the hell was that for, Sonoko?!"

"That's for leaving Ran." Conan sighed and just decided to stay quiet, since he doesn't want to start a fight. They continued walking for five more minutes until they stopped at the gates of Hakase's residence. "I guess this is where I drop you off, Shinichi-kun."

Conan entered the gates and looked at Sonoko one more time. "Don't speak a word about what happened today to Ran, all right? I don't want her to get involved in this conflict. I've already caused her too much pain and I won't forgive myself if the organization harms her. Sonoko nodded and left.

Conan knocked on the door and when it was opened, Ai Haibara was standing there, with a bored look on her face. But her bored look suddenly became the opposite when she saw the love of her life. They pulled each other for a deep hug, and before she pushed him away, he gave her a quick peck on her cheeks. "So, how are you?" he asked. "Except for feeling sleepy right now, what were you doing?"

She smirked and crossed her arms. "And so what, Shinichi? Don't tell me you were being chicken over the fact that you didn't get to see us this weekend?"

"Oi, oi, is it wrong to check on my girlfriend?" She shook her head and gestured for him to go inside. Kazuko looked at the door as soon as she heard footsteps going inside. She put down her pocketbook and ran to where Conan and Ai were.

"I almost thought you weren't going to visit today," she said as the two hugged each other lightly. Ai felt something build up inside her when she saw this. Something that makes her angry.

"So what are you planning to do today?" the girl asked. "Ai already has cooked lunch, you can go join us to eat."

"Sure! I'm starving!" Ai's inner struggle with her emotions were cut off when Conan held her hand as they went to the table.

'What was that feeling earlier?' Ai thought to herself. 'I felt like I was getting angry when I saw the both of them hug each other. But why was I angry? There's nothing wrong with hugging your friends. Wait, don't tell me, that I'm getting jealous?! No! I can't be jealous! They're just friends!' When they reached the table, Ai called Hakase from upstairs and invited him to lunch.

 **7 hours later…**

It was 7:38 in the evening and the door to Hakase's home opened. Ai and Kazuko were carrying Conan by two arms each as he was asleep. Apparently, after eating lunch, they had nothing to do for two hours. Kazuko invited them both to the amusement park to have fun. They didn't hesitate to agree.

Conan was the one who wore himself out because of Ai's challenge for him to ride the rollercoaster fifteen times. Since he doesn't want to look weak in public, he agreed without thinking.

 **Flashback**

 _"I thought it would be fun here, but it seems that this place is boring as well," said Conan as he sat down on a bench with Ai and Kazuko._

 _"Well, who was the one who wanted to go to the amusement park?" Ai said sarcastically._

 _"Can you really blame me? I mean, Kazuko-chan wanted us to go with her! And I can't pass up the chance that the rich girl would treat us!"_

 _Ai smirked and crossed her arms. "You might want to cover your head, tantei-san."_

 _Conan faced her and raised an eyebrow. Before he could even cover his head, a fist went straight to him, creating a huge lump. He screamed in pain. Behind him, steam was coming out from a very angry Kazuko-chan, who had veins popping from her head. "TRY TO CALL ME 'THE RICH GIRL' AGAIN AND YOU'RE DEAD, CONAN-KUN!"_

 _"S-sure thing, Kazuko-chan!" the boy said quickly, hoping to prevent more trouble. She calmed herself down and sat normally on the bench again._

 _"Why don't you find something to do?" asked Kazuko, having done a complete 180._

 _Conan sweat-dropped from her sudden mood change. "I can't think of anything. We've ridden the extreme rides here, while the others are for kids. And the booths here are worthless!"_

 _Ai scoffed. "I can bet that you can't ride the same ride for fifteen times, Conan."_

 _Conan narrowed his eyes at her. "My detective instincts tell me that you're challenging me, Ai. I can ride the rollercoaster here for many times, you know!"_

 _"Oh yeah? Fifteen times says you'll come home crying like a baby." Kazuko slightly chuckled._

 _"That's it! You want a bet? If I manage to ride the rollercoaster for fifteen times, you must do whatever I want for a week! You can't object to what I say, otherwise it proves I'm better than you."_

 _Ai cringed at what be said, but managed to regain her composure. "All right, Conan. But if you don't come in terms with the deal, you'll have to endure my sarcasm for three weeks."_

 _"Deal!" Conan then rushed like hell to the line towards the rollercoaster, forcing Ai and Kazuko to get off the bench quickly and run to him._

 _Against all odds, Conan was able to ride the rollercoaster fifteen minutes times in only two hours. When he went out the exit, he was very exhausted and he was getting dizzy. He sank to his knees as he coughed on the ground. A very concerned Ai and Kazuko went to the boy to help him. His girlfriend was starting to regret that she started the bet earlier. She didn't care even if she has to do whatever he wants for seven days and she was cursing herself under her breath. However, Conan heard what she was saying, so he looked up at her, flashing his signature grin._

 _"Hehe," he said. "Looks like I win the bet…" his eyes closed as he collapsed, but Kazuko caught him in her arms as Ai desperately checked if his heart was still beating. Just before she could put her ear next to his chest, her friend stopped her._

 _"It's all right, Ai-chan," said Kazuko. "He's just sleeping since the ride wore him out." Ai nodded. "Anyway, let's go home and get him to bed." She let one arm of the boy drape over her neck while Ai did the same with his other arm as they walked home._

 **End of Flashback**

Agasa-hakase saw the two girls carrying Conan. He, at first, was worried that something bad might have happened to the detective. But Ai and Kazuko were able to explain everything thoroughly before the situation could be worse.

He carried the boy to his bedroom with the two girls following. Hakase first dressed up Conan in a fresh batch of clothes and laid him on the bed, sleeping peacefully. He and Kazuko left the room while Ai stayed behind for a little bit.

She leaned down on him and stared at his sleeping face. "I'm sorry…" she said before kissing his cheek. Ai looked back at him one last time before leaving the room.

 **Meanwhile…**

Kaito was walking around the park after buying himself some lunch at a barbecue house. He, not surprisingly for the past few days, saw Akako sitting on a bench with her phone. He quickly went to the bench and she looked at where the footsteps were. "Hey, Akako," he said. "Want to talk?"

She turned her attention back to her phone. "Well, sit down and hurry up. I'll be going home later." He sat down and scratched his chin, trying to find the right word to say. She noticed this, and she cleared her throat. "Well? What do you want to talk about?"

"Well… uhm… these past few days… you've been acting… uhm… kind of weird around me. Normally, you're… uh… trying hard to get boys… to like you but… today, and yesterday, and the day before that… you were just… how should I say this… sarcastic but… trying to be nice. D-did I do something to you?"

She bitterly smiled. "No you didn't, Kuroba-kun. Let's just say I'm not being what I'm supposed to be from now on."

His eyes widened. "What do you mean, 'not being what you're supposed to be'?!" he instantly asked.

She turned her phone off and put it back in her pocket. "It's better if you figure it out for yourself, Kuroba-kun. Other than what I should be right now, is there anything else you want to talk about? If there's nothing else, I should be going."

"Wait, there's actually one more thing I want to know. Where do you live?"

"And why do you want to know where I live?" she replied sarcastically. "Are you planning a sleepover?" she blushed lightly when she asked him.

His face turned red as he quickly shook his head. "No, of course not! I just want to know, that's at all."

"Fine, if you want to know so badly." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and smirked. "I'm currently staying at an apartment right now, I pay rent every month. I left my old home a few months ago. Is your question answered?"

"Yeah, thanks for sharing." He suddenly stood up from his seat and waved his hand. "Good luck with paying your rent, I'll try to help you if I can. See you later."

Her mood suddenly changed. She stood up from his seat and quickly ran to him and put a hand on his shoulder, making him stop. She was enjoying the quality time that she had with Kaito over the past few days that she almost never wanted it to stop. He looked at her over his shoulder while she blushed. "What?" he asked.

"Are you going to attend Valentines' Week next Monday at school?"

"Of course I am."

Her eyes had little hope. "Who are you bringing with you?"

"Aoko, of course!" said Kaito without thinking.

It was a good thing she can hide her real emotions. Her heart felt crushed when he said that. "Okay. See you tomorrow." Now, it was her turn to walk away. Like what she did, he put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. "What is it?" she asked, getting annoyed.

"Are you going as well?"

"It's none of your business on whether I'm going or not, Kuroba-kun," she replied sharply.

"All right, fine. I won't meddle with your decisions." He raised a finger. "On one condition. I like this sarcastic side of you. Even if you're sarcastic with almost everything you say, you kind of have a softer personality towards others. You should be like this more often. That way, people would admire you not only for your beauty, but for your kindness as well. Good luck getting home and see you tomorrow at school!" he waved a final hand goodbye at her before walking away. Akako was left wide-eyed in her position as she stared at Kaito, who was walking away with every second.

'I better get home,' she thought. She put a hand on her chest, and she could feel her rapidly beating heart. 'This is what it actually feels like.'

 **Tomorrow…**

Conan woke up in a car with four children beside him. He first rubbed his eyes to ensure that he wasn't dreaming. He then yawned to make everyone notice that he was now awake. "You're awake now?" asked the girl beside him who he knew as Ai.

"Yeah…" he answered lazily. "Where are we?"

"Conan-kun?" said Ayumi cheerfully. "You're finally awake!" This statement of hers alone was enough to fully turn him awake. He instantly scanned his surroundings, Ai was sitting next to him, while the other Detective Boys were next to her. Kazuko was next to the driver's seat, looking at him. And Hakase was driving.

"What the hell is going on?"

"We're going on a trip today, Conan-kun," said Kazuko, making the boy raise an eyebrow. "Hakase invited us all to hiking in the mountains."

"Invited? I don't recall any of you telling me about this! The only thing I remember is I rode the rollercoaster at the amusement park for 15 times… wait, what happened yesterday?"

"Apparently, you slept in my house," said Hakase. "Here's how it all began…

 **Flashback**

 _Hakase was the first one to wake up and he had an early idea on his mind. He checked the clock and it was 7:23 in the morning. The perfect time for exercise. He got out of bed and called the parents of the Detective Boys. He asked the same question to each of them. "Can I take your child to hiking today?"_

 _Kazuko and Ai both woke up at 7:54. They greeted each other with a "Good morning" as they went down. They reached the dining table with breakfast already served on the table. "Ah, Ai-kun, Kazuko-kun! You're awake!" exclaimed Hakase. "Come on and have breakfast, we're going hiking today!"_

 _Kazuko shrugged her shoulders. "Well, since it's a holiday today, I see no problem in doing so." Ai simply nodded as she drank her coffee._

 _"Where's Shinichi-kun?"_

 _"Still asleep," answered Ai. "Looks like he is enjoying his sleep."_

 _"Ayumi-kun and the others should arrive here later, I invited them as well. Before we go, we're going to stop by at the agency first so we could tell Ran-kun and her father that we'll be borrowing Shinichi-kun for a day or two." Ai and Kazuko nodded as they ate their breakfast._

 _After finishing their food, Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko arrived. Ai smiled a bit when she saw Mitsuhiko and Ayumi holding hands. They all put their bags in the car and went in, while Hakase went back to pick up Conan and lock the house._

 _They drove to the agency where Agasa-hakase talked to Ran at the stairs about taking Conan out for a trip. "Taku, I thought something bad happened to Conan-kun when he didn't go home yesterday!" said Ran._

 _Hakase sweat-dropped. "Don't worry about him, Ran-kun! He just went to the amusement park with Ai-kun and Kazuko-kun yesterday, and he was really exhausted, so he slept at my house."_

 _"All right, just make sure he informs me in advance, I was worried to death yesterday when Sonoko came here without him!"_

 _Hakase started to walk down the stairs. "All right, Ran-kun. Good –"_

 _"Wait, Hakase!" she exclaimed, making the scientist stop in his tracks._

 _"Is there something else you want to tell me, Ran-kun?"_

 _"I-I was just w-wondering if S-Shinichi dropped by at your house…"_

 _"I'm sorry, Ran-kun, but he hasn't." Ran looked at the floor with sad eyes. She was looking forward to the next time he would go back, even temporarily, so that she could hang iut with him along with Heiji, Kazuha, and Sonoko. "But don't be sad, Ran-kun. I'm sure he will be back soon." Ran forced a smile to show on her face as Hakase left._

 **End of Flashback**

Conan yawned. "How much time until we get there?" he asked. "I want to get out of this car and run around a bit."

"I think we still have half an hour to go before getting there."

"Conan-kun!" said Mitsuhiko. "Next week is Valentines' Day, right?" Conan nodded. "Kobayashi-sensei just texted our parents last night that our school next week will be having an event called Valentines' Week!"

"Valentines' Week?"

"Sensei told them that you can only join the event if there is someone who would act as your partner! Lucky for me, I have Ayumi-chan by my side!" He lightly pinched Ayumi's cheek and turned back to Conan. "You and Ai-chan would be going as well, right?"

Ai smirked. "Of course –" Conan cut her off before she could even say anything.

"Of course we're going, Mitsuhiko!" exclaimed Conan.

Ai turned to him and flashed her infamous glare. "You've gotta be kidding me, Conan!" she whispered. "I am NOT going to that event! And you can't make me! The antidote is more important than that!"

Now, it was Conan's turn to flash a smirk. "Oh, really? I seem to recall that we made a bet yesterday. We agreed that if I managed to ride the coaster fifteen times, you'll do whatever I want for a week. If I don't manage to ride it that many times, I'll have to endure your sarcasm for three weeks. I remember that I rode it exactly fifteen times."

Ai sighed and slapped her forehead. "I should've known that would be your response… fine, you win." 'Why did I have to make that bet?' she thought to herself. Conan chuckled and patted her on the back.

"Trust me, it'll be fun!" He then sneaked a kiss to her cheek which made her blush in surprise. "Maybe Kazuko-chan will come along as well!" he joked. "Surely, she can find someone who's willing to be her partner. Since she's as popular as you, finding one should be easy!"

"Do you think so?" asked Kazuko. "All right, I'll go!" Conan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Seriously?!"

"Of course, I'm sure! It's gonna be a wonderful week ahead! I'm excited!"

"This is great!" said Mitsuhiko. "The five of us are coming along! Too bad Genta-kun just loves his bowl of eels, so he can't come with us."

Genta simply shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care," he stated. "Go have fun next week, I'm just going to stay at home. I wonder who Kazuko-chan will choose. There are so many boys in our school! Who will she go to first?"

Kazuko put her hands on her hips. "Trust me, Genta-kun. I'm not going to any boys. Boys will come to me! I can bet that I'll have a date with me before the week ends."

 **Thirty minutes later…**

All of them got out of the car and each of them took their own bags. Conan and Ai led the children to the foot of the mountain where the hiking starts while Agasa-hakase bought ropes, protective gear, and a room to stay for later at the nearby motel. Ai patted her boyfriend on the shoulder, making him pay attention to her. "I'm sorry for what happened yesterday and earlier," she whispered.

"It's in the past. Don't worry about it." Ai smirked and punched his arm lightly.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, they, slowly and carefully, treaded their way up a steep and very narrow pathway. All of them were connected with a rope to prevent anyone of them from falling. To make things worse, the way up the mountain is climbing on its sides, so the pathway is really narrow. Ayumi was behind Hakase, followed by Conan, Ai, Kazuko, Mitsuhiko, and Genta. This trip wasn't as fun as they thought. Almost all of them were scared to death. Genta and Mitsuhiko were sweating heavily out of fear, Ai and Kazuko kept completely calm, Ayumi was on the verge of crying because of the height, while Conan's mind was focused on other things. Hakase noticed the three children and decided to go for a quick break. "Take a quick break, everyone!" he said. Everyone stopped in walking. He broke apart the rope that was holding him together with the others, leaving the rope within the children. "I'm going to have a look at the distance until the top." He started to walk away when Ayumi suddenly followed without thinking. The others thought that she was going crazy.

"Wait, Hakase! It's too –" the next rock she stepped on cracked and she fell. Everyone's eyes widened as Conan was separated from his thoughts. She screamed as Conan jumped to save her.

"Ayumi-chan!" he grabbed her hand as Ai, also jumped to save them. The same went for Kazuko and Mitsuhiko. Genta held on to the rope that was keeping them together.

"Hang on, everyone!" Genta screamed. His grip on the rope was slipping and his hands were getting red by the second. Hakase came back with a raised eyebrow.

"What's all this noise abou –" His eyes widened with shock with the scene before him. He walked quickly to help them as the rock that Genta was standing on cracked and broke as well, and all of them fell on the forest below. Hakase instantly went down to get help.

Somebody from the heavens loves them all. They were safe because almost all of them landed on separate tree branches. It still brought pain to them, though not critical. Conan was the first one to wake up from the fall as he made his way down on the ground slowly to prevent further damage to his body. He saw Kazuko climbing down another tree but fell to the ground, screaming. Conan went to her and she was clutching her leg. He let her arm drape over his neck as he helped her stood up. "Thanks," she whispered.

Ai and Ayumi both landed on the same tree branch. Ayumi was on the verge of tears when her best friend calmed her down. They helped each other as they went down. Both of them took out their badges to contact the others.

Genta was quite the lifesaver. When he and Mitsuhiko fell, they weren't going to land on the branch, but on the ground. The big guy luckily found a nearby branch, so he timed his hands properly. He successfully held on to the branch while Mitsuhiko held on to his friend's feet. When they realized that the tree branch Genta was holding on to wasn't far from the ground, he let go. They also took out their badges to call their friends.

"Anyone there?" Ai asked through her badge.

Mitsuhiko was the one who received the call. "Haibara-san? Is Ayumi-chan safe? Who's with you?"

"Yeah, Yoshida-san is here with me. Who's with you right now?"

"Genta-kun. Where are you two?"

"I don't have an idea about where we are. Stay where you both are and don't move until we know where to go. Most likely the fall separated us from each other. Conan and Yamada-san are surely with each other. I'll try to talk with them."

Conan's badge rang and he accepted the call. "Is this you, Ai?" he asked.

"Yeah, are you and Yamada-san all right?"

"Yeah, but her leg got injured. I don't know if it was a fracture, dislocation, or strain, but we need to get out of this forest as soon as possible."

"Yoshida-san is with me, while Tsubaraya-kun is with Kojima-kun. How do you expect us to get out of this forest, tantei-kun?"

"Follow the pathway you are on and be sure to walk in a straight line. Surely, this forest has an end. I'll call Hakase with my earring-shaped phone and get him to wait for us at the end of the forest. I'm gonna use my glasses so I could track everyone's movements. Tell this to Mitsuhiko and Genta. We're starting to move." Conan deactivated his badge and Ai relayed his message to the other two boys.

 **Twenty minutes later…**

Kazuko decided to ask Conan something as they walked through the forest. "Say, Shinichi-kun?" she asked.

"What?" he replied.

"What made you choose Ai-chan over _her_?"

He took a deep breath. "Well, it's a long story. But it was always about who was there for me. Ran was my first love and I wanted to go back for her so we could finally be together, but something didn't feel right. I always protected Ai from danger because she was the only one who could make an antidote. But that was before my reasons deepened. As time passed, protecting her became an urge to me. Every time there's something that bothers her, I'll always lend a hand. And that's when my feelings for her changed. She was starting to become more than just a friend and partner to me. I was so confused with my feelings for Ran and Ai at the same time. I didn't want to leave Ran, and I also didn't want to leave Ai. Call me crazy, but I even pleaded to the moon to help me!" (GUYS! YOU'LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS BACKSTORY, I GUARANTEE YOU THAT!) Kazuko's eyes widened. "But in the end, it came to me that Ai lost her family. It would be too painful for her to live the rest of her life without someone who'll love her for who she is. But I was also afraid of what her reaction would be if I asked her to take our relationship more than friends. Yet, there was no harm in trying. I decided to take a chance and confess my feelings. I'm pretty sure Ai told you about our trip to Hawaii already, didn't she?" Kazuko nodded. "I was surprised to know she actually had feelings for me since the day I rescued her at Haido hotel. I confronted Ran about her feelings for me and I told her to let go of it and move on. And that's it, I suppose."

'Ai-chan, you are the luckiest person alive right now,' she thought. "Wow, Shinichi-kun. Who would've thought that you'll have feelings for a girl who feels the same and not know anything about it when you're so dense?"

Conan put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Keep quiet, I can hear some voices." Kazuko nodded. Conan followed the source of the voices and he noticed that they come from behind a big bush in their pathway. He raised his eyebrow and peeked through. Kazuko joined him and their eyes widened with what they saw.

"Kondo, are you sure we should bury them here?" asked a man to his companion. "Anyone could stumble their way here."

"Don't worry about such things, Shibata. This is a huge forest and I doubt that anyone would dig up holes in this area. Let's call the others and let's see if they're done."

'Shit! There are more of them?!' Conan thought. 'How many of them are there? I need to talk to Ai about this, maybe they're facing the same situation. Conan brought out his badge and called Ai. "Ai, there are two men here who just buried a dead body. They said that there were more of them. Any chance you just saw some people who were suspicious.?"

"Way ahead of you, Conan," she replied. "I'm actually facing the same situation as you. Yoshida-san almost screamed, but I managed to stop her."

"What about Mitsuhiko and Genta? Have you called them already?"

"Yeah. They also saw two people burying a body. So with you saying that there are two more, they're six men in all." She then smirked. "How do you plan on apprehending them?"

"Already know what to do. Stay where you are, I'll get them to leave this forest and into the police. When you see them running away, follow where they're going, but keep your distance. They might know somebody's following them. Before you do, mark the places where they buried the bodies so it'll be easier to find them when the police get here. They surely know the way out of this forest, and when they get out, the police get them, we get out safely. That's hitting two birds with one stone! Tell Mitsuhiko and Genta about my plan. I need to make them run away in fear right now, otherwise they'll leave." Conan cut off their connection and he took out his earring-shaped phone. He gave it to Kazuko who was raising an eyebrow. "Call Hakase with that phone. Tell him to call the police and an ambulance and wait at the entrance/exit of this forest." she nodded and called Agasa-hakase.

It was a good thing Conan had his voice-changing bowtie since yesterday. He altered the pitch and frequency so it would assume the voice of a grown man. "FREEZE!" he shouted with his bowtie, making the two men behind the bush stop in what they're doing. "THIS IS THE POLICE! WE ARE HERE TO PLACE YOU UNDER ARREST FOR MURDER!"

The man named Kondo flinched. "Kuso! Shibata! Tell the others to get out of here! The police have found us!" Shibata quickly nodded as the both of them ran away. Conan put his bowtie in his pocket as he carried Kazuko on his back as he followed the two men. The girl dropped a stone on top of the mound where they buried the body.

The other four men received calls from Shibata, telling them to run away since the police are there. They did so, and the children followed them closely, while leaving stones on top of the mounds.

When the six men got out of the forest after only a minute, they were surrounded by many men. Yamamura-keiji led the squadron as he spoke with a loudspeaker. "WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED! GET DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!" Kondo stepped forward and held out a grenade.

"Step back! Let us leave or we'll all die!" Yamamura-keiji gritted his teeth and nearly all of the police reluctantly took steps backward just as Conan and the other children arrived behind the men. They all let out smiles to each other when Conan saw Kondo holding a grenade in front of the police. He let go of Kazuko who he was still carrying. Unknown to him, Ai was getting jealous when she saw him carrying Kazuko. She unconsciously clenched her fists, getting mad by the second.

Conan inflated a soccer ball with his belt and activated his sneakers. He kicked the ball and it hit Kondo on his head, knocking him out and dropping the grenade. One of the police officers picked up the explosive while Kondo's allies knelt down and surrendered.

A minute later, the ambulance arrived. Kazuko was placed on a stretcher while Conan and the others followed her inside. Ai was getting more and more jealous because he didn't even greet her or hug her. As the ambulance went off to the hospital, Kazuko fell asleep while Conan, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta all held her hand, ensuring her a fast recovery. Ai narrowed her eyes at Conan and Kazuko, signifying the start of a war between friends.

* * *

 ** _Next On I'll Always Be Here:_**

 ** _"Just leave me alone!"_**

 ** _"I don't know what you're talking about!"_**

 ** _"Okay, this has gone far enough!"_**

 ** _"What have I done?!"_**

 ** _CHAPTER 20: RAGE OF THE QUEEN_**

* * *

 _ **OMG! Haibara has gone mad! What the heck are you thinking?! They are just friends! This could only mean one thing. I think you get what I'm talking about. By the way, before I go, what's your opinion on Kazuko Yamada? Is she a good character or not? Tell me in a review! I'll be off writing the next chapter so see ya!**_

 ** _Yours truly,_**

 ** _Lance_**


	20. Rage of the Queen

_**Well, that wasn't very long. I had so much fun writing this chapter, especially the part where Ai goes completely crazy! You can see in the teaser at the end of this chapter, the next one will be a long one. It may take time for me to write it. And to all those who are worrying about Kazuko's relationship to Conan, don't worry! Everything gets resolved in this chapter! I even cried once when I was writing a certain scene of in this chap. Thanks for giving reviews! Please give more! I nees it! Oh, and BrilliantlyReckless, you'll see what really is Kazuko's relationship to Conan in this chapter. I'm sorry about grammatical errors, but I'll try to prevent getting many in one chapter. With that taken care of, let's see what this chapter has in store for you!"**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I stayed at Mars for a year yet I still don't own DC. *cough The Martian cough* LOL**_

* * *

Sonoko was very weird today, for Ran's part. She went to the agency even before Ran and Conan could have their breakfast. She knocked on the door earlier, and first hugged Conan instead of Ran. She raised an eyebrow at her sudden attitude, but went away when her best friend hugged her as well. Conan, who had annoyed face the whole time, wasn't very pleased with how Sonoko was acting. But, he couldn't do anything about it, so he just kept a calm demeanor until the three of them set out for school.

While they were walking, Sonoko was walking close to Conan, who still has the same annoyed look earlier. Ran was really confused with her attitude since earlier, so she decided to resolve things. "Uh, Sonoko?" she asked.

"Nani?" replied Sonoko.

"What's with your sudden attitude? First, you go to my house so early and now your sticking to Conan-kun like he's your brother. Is something wrong?"

"Nope. Nothing's wrong. It's just that I figured I should treat this kid normally, and not a gaki." She rubbed his locks, earning a glare from the boy. She stuck out her tongue a little bit at him while Ran simply smiled at the two.

After a few more minutes of walking, the trio reached Teitan Primary School. Sonoko and Ran bid farewell as Conan headed for his classroom. He saw his three friends talking with each other near his seat. The incident at the mountain yesterday left Genta with bandages on his hands, due to holding the rope tightly as well as the branch that saved him and Mitsuhiko. Ayumi had a Band-Aid on her left cheek, while Mitsuhiko had bandages on his right arm. Conan also bandages but it was on his abdomen. He landed abdomen-first on the tree branch yesterday. Ayumi saw her first crush and waved her hand. "Conan-kun!" she squealed. Mitsuhiko and Genta turned to their friend. "How's Kazuko-chan? Is she all right?"

"She's fine. She'll be discharged later on since no permanent damage was found on her leg. She'll be back her by tomorrow!"

"Hontou?" said Mitsuhiko. "That's great! What about Haibara-san, Conan-kun?"

The detective shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I haven't heard anything from her since we went to the hospital yesterday. I'll try to talk to her later."

They continued talking to each other until Kobayashi-sensei came into the room. Conan was starting to get worried when Ai wasn't around yet. But a few minutes after Kobayashi-sensei checked the attendance, the door opened and Ai Haibara walked into the room. She apologized for being late and headed straight for her seat. Conan decided to greet her secretly. "Good morning!" he whispered. However, she didn't respond. "Ai?" Her eyes were only on their sensei and wasn't moving to look at him. "Hey, Ai?" She didn't respond again. "Ai? Are you even listening?"

His girlfriend turned to him with her infamous glare, which was enough to make him stop bugging her. He turned his attention back to their sensei, while Conan thought about his girlfriend. 'Taku, I was just greeting her… what is wrong with her? I have this sudden feeling that the next few days won't be as easy for me.'

The rest of the hours in school was pretty sad for Conan. First off, Ai didn't greet him when she arrived. Then, every time he goes near her during their recess, she goes to another spot to eat her food. Finally, during their P.E. class, where she and Conan were teammates in a game, she didn't even listen to his gameplan. Their team lost because of her. But, she apologized to Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko, who were also their teammates. Conan figured that there really was something going on with her so he decided not to get angry with her. Instead, he patted her on the shoulder, saying "Don't blame yourself." But after doing so, she glared at him, brushed his hand off her shoulder, and stormed out of their sights. The three detectives looked at their friend with concern, while Conan was very confused with her.

Like always, they walked home together. Conan kept quiet about the day's events to keep her calm and not angry. When they were about to reach Hakase's, he decided that it was the right time to speak. "Is there something bothering you today, Ai?" he asked.

"It's none of your business, Conan," she answered sharply.

Conan narrowed his eyes. "No, there IS something bothering you. You've been acting weird all day! First off, you didn't greet me at all when I greeted you. Then you keep avoiding me during recess! And maybe didn't even listen to me when I explained our strategy during P.E. class!" They were now in front of Hakase's gate. "Just tell me what the problem is, and we can make a solution for it! I'm your boyfriend, remember?!" Her eyes shot open as the word "boyfriend" rang through her head.

She turned around to face him. Conan's eyes widened when he noticed that the look on her face signified that she was angry. As in really angry. "You're a detective, right?! Go figure out for yourself if you think something's bothering me!"

"No, I can't do that!" he returned. "I can't figure out what's the problem with you if you keep being emotionless all the time!" He held her hand, much to her disgust. "The only way I could find out what's bothering you is if you'd be more open with your feelings! That's why I'm your boyfriend!"

She took her hand back as he stared at her, wide-eyed. "Just leave me alone!" she cried. When she saw that Conan was about to open his mouth again, she raised a finger in protest. "Go home… you have five seconds…" The boy decided to just take this matter into another day so he continued on his way. He looked over his shoulder and stared at Ai, who was still glaring at him. When he was out of her sight, she opened the gate and entered the house, without knowing that there are small tears flowing from her eyes.

Conan walked back home with a heavy heart. 'What the hell is going on with her?' he thought. 'There wasn't anything bad that happened in the past few days. There aren't any news about the organization. I feel like she is angry with me, with something that I did. I'll try to talk to Kazuko about her. Surely, she must know something since they live together!'

 **Tomorrow…**

Sonoko, for a second time, went to the agency earlier than usual. This time, it was before Ran could even take a bath. Conan and Ran were just eating breakfast, until a knock was heard on the door. Ran went to see who it was, and she raised an eyebrow when Sonoko was the one standing in front of her. She welcomed her best friend in with a hug, and Sonoko also hugged Conan, who again had the same annoyed face as yesterday. She waited for the two to finish eating, and when Ran said that she was now going to take a bath, she figured that this is now her chance to talk to the boy. "Are you going to make this an everyday habit?" asked Conan annoyingly.

"Aaww," she replied. "Don't be mean, Shinichi-kun! Now that I know that nothing bad happened to you, I can talk to you freely!"

He sighed. "Is that the only reason you came here?"

"Not, really. I also came to ask if you could still continue on making me solve mystery cases!"

He sighed again. "Should've known this was coming. Why would you want me to continue making you solve cases? You already know who I am, go solve them yourself! Perhaps you only want the fame and advantages of being a detective since I used you countless times to solve cases."

"But it's not about the fame for me!" The boy looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I-I mean… it was, but that was a long time ago! As time passed, when people thank me for solving cases, even if I have no idea about it, it feels good to help people! Please! Please help me in being a detective!"

"All right, all right!" Sonoko noticed something different in his voice, because he would normally sound cool and calm, but this time wasn't anything like it. His voice sounded like he was either angry or pissed off. "But don't expect me to put you to sleep like occhan over there," he pointed to Kogoro, who was sleeping loudly with the door to his room open. "You will solve cases through hard work, like what I do."

Her face lit up. "Hontou?! Thanks, Shinichi-kun! I won't let you down!" She then hugged the boy, much to his disgust, so he shook off her arms.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just don't talk to me right now, I already have problems of my own." She raised an eyebrow once more.

"Is there something bothering you right now?" He didn't reply. "Shinichi-kun, I'll just keep asking." He still didn't answer. She patted him on the back. "Come on, tell me what it is."

He turned to face her. "If I tell you, would you stop bugging me from thinking?" She nodded. "It's about Ai." Her eyes widened. "Well, specifically, her attitude yesterday. She wasn't herself, she was being cold again. She didn't even greet or said a word to me for the whole day at school. When I kept on pressing her into telling me what the hell was going on with her, she glared at me. She's acting like we haven't even met. But when we went home, she finally spoke to me. But the words she told me were "Just leave me alone". That was her attitude towards me, yet she was acting completely normal towards Ayumi-chan, Genta, and Mitsuhiko." He sighed. "I don't know what to do.

"Did you do something to her that upsets her in the first place?"

"I don't know… but I honestly think that I haven't done anything wrong. She's the one who's not open with feelings. She won't even tell me what her problems are."

Sonoko ruffled his hair. "Don't feel so down. If she has a problem, you should help her. You're a detective, right? You need to figure out what's bothering her. With a brain like yours, you can figure it out in to time. But if you need help, I'll lend a hand." Conan warmly smiled at her just as Ran walked out of the bathroom and into her bedroom.

"Well, I'm gonna take a bath." He stood up and headed for his room, but Sonoko put a hand on his shoulder.

"One more thing. Why do you have a kid as a girlfriend?" Conan pointed to himself which led to her raising an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?"

He sighed. "It means that she's like me."

"She's a detective?"

He slapped his forehead. "I meant that she suffered the same fate as me. She also shrunk. What you see is an 18 year old girl who shrunk into a kid." He brushed off her hand as he headed for his room.

"She's older than you?"

Conan stopped at the door. "No, she just celebrated her birthday first." With that, he closed the door and prepared his clothes.

 **One hour later…**

Ran chuckled. "Are you going to do this everyday, Sonoko?" she asked her best friend.

"Get used to it, Ran!" answered Sonoko happily.

They waved their hands goodbye when Conan reached his school. Sonoko winked at the boy before finally leaving. He headed for his room when he encountered a strange kid along the way.

He saw a black-haired kid sitting near one of the trees tinkering with, what seems to be a phone or tablet. He looked like he was 7 years of age, the same as the detective. The boy's face determined that he was handsome. He had black eyes, a pointed nose, and his skin color was white. But the thing that made Conan weirded out was the number of tools around him. He had five different screwdrivers, two wires, and three small hammers. 'Hmmm… a child prodigy?" he thought. 'He's got skill.' But when the boy suddenly looked at him, Conan felt like he was facing someone else. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the boy again. 'What the hell did I just think?' He shook off the theory in his head and continued on his way, with the boy staring at him as he entered the school. He went to his room and greeted his three friends.

He decided to know more about the boy he just saw earlier by asking his friends about it. "Guys?" he asked. They turned their attention to him. "Do any of you know who the kid near that tree is?" he pointed to the tree outside the window where the black-haired boy earlier was.

"I don't know anything about him, Conan-kun," said Mitsuhiko. Ayumi shook her head, meaning she had the same answer as Mitsuhiko.

"Oh, maybe he is the kid in the rumors!" exclaimed Genta.

"Rumors?" Ayumi repeated.

"Yeah, there are rumors in our street saying that a kid attending Teitan Primary School is so intelligent with technology that he could be an inventor at the age of fourteen! But I don't know if he really is the one in those rumors."

'So I was right,' Conan thought. 'He's just a prodigy… I almost thought that there was another victim of the drug…' His thoughts were cut off when the door to their room opened. Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta ran happily to the person who went inside.

Kazuko was the first one to arrive in school instead of Ai, which led to Conan thinking that there definitely is something going on with his girlfriend. Nonetheless, the detective boys went to their friend and welcomed her back. "Welcome back, Kazuko-chan!" squealed Ayumi in total happiness.

"It's a good thing that your leg is fine now!" exclaimed Mitsuhiko.

"We thought you'd be in the hospital for a long time!" said Genta as he rubbed the back of his head.

Kazuko chuckled. "You guys! I'm back now and that's all that matters!" She was cut from her laughing when she felt that someone placed their hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see it was Conan.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" he whispered to her ear. She nodded and the both of them went to their chairs. Kazuko gestured for their other friends to continue with whatever they're doing. She looked at Conan, whose hands were on his pockets and he had a serious look on his face.

"Something on your mind?" she asked. "Your face tells me that something has been bothering you."

"Where's Ai?" he suddenly asked.

"Uh, she should be on her way here."

"Why didn't the two of you go to school together?"

"I don't know what's wrong with her earlier. Every question I ask, she just keeps quiet and she won't answer at all. If I continue bugging her, she'll glare at me. When I asked her if she was ready to go, she didn't answer me. When I asked her the same question for, maybe four times, she glared at me. Literally. So I just went to school alone."

He shook his head. "Tch, tch, tch. Looks like you went through the same as me." Kazuko raised an eyebrow. "Yesterday, I was greeting a good morning, but she didn't even respond. I asked her again and again to please answer my question, but then she glared at me." Kazuko looked down on the floor. "But the weird thing is," the girl looked at him again. "When Ayumi-chan, Genta, or Mitsuhiko talks to her, she acts normal. She doesn't even glare at them! Something tells me that there is something about us that makes her angry."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever it is, I have no idea. Honestly, I can't see anything wrong with you! The past few days we've spent altogether showed me that you really are the perfect man for her. And I've been only around here for like a week… I don't remember doing anything wrong that concerns Ai-chan!" She crossed her arms and sighed. "I don't really get her all the time… she doesn't like to be open with her feelings… why can't she just face us and tell us why she is angry at the two of us."

"Don't worry, Kazuko-chan." He went to her and patted her shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of this." But, unfortunately for the two, the door to the room opened, which made the two look at who was coming. They silently hoped that it would be Ai. And their wish was granted. Kobayashi-sensei and Ai Haibara walked inside the room. She initially had a small smile on her face, but when she saw Conan's hand placed on Kazuko's shoulder, her expression morphed into a glare. The two friends noticed that her glare was specifically directed at the two of them, making them flinch.

 **At Ekoda High School…**

It was recess time, and Kaito was sitting on a bench, eating a sandwich and waiting for Aoko to join him. He saw Akako sitting on a nearby bench. He smiled warmly at her, but he nearly choked on his food when he saw Saguru Hakuba sit with her. He felt something inside him, something that drove him mad. He knew he shouldn't be feeling anything, but he did. He stood up from the bench and stormed to where Akako was. Before Saguru could even kiss her hand in greeting, Kaito cleared his throat, making his presence known. "Do you mind?" he asked. "Akako doesn't have time for bastards like you!"

Saguru stood up and smirked. "And so?" he replied. "Why does it concern you that much? Are you Akako's boyfriend?" The girl blushed. "If you are, I'll back off. But if you're not, then go stick your nose into other people's business. Unless… you're jealous of what might happen between us."

Kaito gritted his teeth. "I'm not her boyfriend and I'm not jealous! I just know what's best for her, and what's best for her is if she stays away from bastards like you! She deserves a better guy than you!" Akako blushed deeply at the sight of Kaito defending her.

"Aren't you a bastard yourself? You already have Aoko, then you want Akako too? What a boyfriend you are, I wonder what Aoko would say about this, if she finds out you're cheating on her."

Kaito's voice heightened. "For the last time, I'm nobody's boyfriend! Go chase on other girls, but not Aoko nor Akako. They deserve way better than people like you, and don't even think about asking either of them to be your partner for Valentines' Week!"

Saguru glared at him, and was now inches from Kaito's face. "So you're planning to ask them both, is that what you're saying? Well know this! I don't take orders from a lousy magician like you!"

"What did you say?!" Kaito then noticed, through the corner of his eye, that Akako was gone from the bench. He stopped his fight with his rival and scratched his hair. Even Saguru was weirded out with where Akako has gone to. "Where did she go?" He looked around him, and she was nowhere to be lllp.

"I don't know, you were distracting me from her," replied Saguru, who was also looking around him. The bell then rang, ending their recess.

"Well, one thing's for sure, Hakuba. She's at the classroom." He looked at Saguru, who nodded. Both of them walked back to their room and all the students who were taking recess went back to their rooms.

Little did the two know that Akako sneaked away while they were fighting. She silently walked away when the two were screaming in each other's faces. She went back to the classroom in deep thought. 'I'm pretty sure Kuroba-kun didn't do it because of the reason I'm thinking,' she thought to herself. 'But if there is a chance that he did it because of that reason, I would be really happy." She flashed her rare smile. 'Life without witchcraft is better than I thought. Kuroba-kun treats me better than when I was using magic. He cares about me… but maybe not in the way I'm thinking. I shouldn't get too hopeful, I can tell that he likes Nakamori-san too much. I'll just enjoy this while it lasts.' When she opened the door to their classroom, Aoko called out to her. Akako figured that it was important, so she went to her immediately. "What is it, Nakamori-san?" he asked.

"First off, it's Aoko," she replied, making the former witch surprised in letting her use Aoko's name. "Second, do you want to go with me after class? I'm going shopping later and I was wondering if you would come along, since you don't go to the department store that much." Akako's eyes widened, her possible love rival inviting her to go shopping was the last thing she expected her to say. "I'm not forcing you to go with me, Akako-chan, but I'm just trying to be a real friend to you."

'A real friend… a real friend… a real friend…' Akako thought. 'I need to fully enjoy this life. Being a witch made people admire me because I forced them. Living normal is starting to be better than using magic and charms.' "I'd like that… Aoko," she finally replied, making the girl squeal in amusement.

"YATTA! I'll bring you to the best shops I know, Akako-chan!" Akako laughed, but it wasn't the typical "Ohohohoho". It was a normal laugh, the laugh of normal people. She knew it was out of character for her to laugh like that, but she didn't care. She wanted to let out her joy and happiness, because she hasn't felt this happy in her life.

'She really is nice…' Akako said in her mind, referring to the girl in front of her who is smiling at her widely.

 **After class, Teitan Primary School…**

Ai was walking in front of Kazuko and Conan. She didn't even talk to either of them for the whole day. Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko tried to help them, since she still talks to the three of them. But she told them that if they mention Kazuko and Conan's names again, she won't talk to them either. Kazuko and Conan told the three to just forget about it, because they don't want them to get involved with their problem. Kazuko looked at Ai with a concerned look while Conan felt something painful inside of him. "I still don't get it on why Ai-chan is avoiding us," she whispered to Conan. "We need to resolve this as soon as possible, otherwise she may break up with you."

He sighed. "I don't want to think about that," he said, referring to the girl breaking up with him. "I'm totally focused right now in finding out what's wrong with her. But I don't want to grab her hand instantly and confront her, there's a high chance that she'll slap me in the face and totally ignore me."

"What do you suggest? Make it quick, I want to see the old Ai-chan again."

"I have a feeling that she won't go to school tomorrow. If I'm right, call me before you leave for school. I'm going to be absent for the day and I'll talk to her alone. But if still attends school, I'll just grab her hand and confront her. I don't care if I get slapped."

"Good, I like your plan. All right, I'll call you before I go to school tomorrow." The two didn't notice that Ai had tears flowing from her eyes probably because she was in front of them, which is an advantage for her.

 **Tomorrow…**

The phone at the agency rang. Ran was taking a bath so Sonoko went to answer it, but was stopped by Conan. He picked up the phone and spoke. "Moshi-moshi?" he said.

"Shinichi-kun, it's me," replied the receiver whom he knew as Kazuko.

"Oh, I've been waiting for you to call. So? Is Ai going to school or not?"

"It seems you can see the future, Shinichi-kun. She's not going to school." She heard him say" "Yatta!" so she decided to cut his happiness off. "But I would advise you to go here later, she's still sleeping."

"All right. I'll wait for you in school then I go there. Got it?"

"Okay. See you." She ended the call and prepared herself for school.

 **Thirty minutes later…**

Conan patiently waited for Kazuko to arrive. He was sitting on a bench near the entrance of the school. For the second time since Monday, he saw the black-haired boy at the same bench. This time, it wasn't a phone he was tinkering with. It was a spider robot. He raised his eyebrow at the boy. 'Is it just me, or is that kid a genius? Even a child prodigy can't make a spider robot at such a young age. Or could it be that –'

"EARTH TO CONAN-KUN!" Conan nearly jumped out of his skin when someone from behind him screamed. He turned to see who it was, and he sighed in relief when he saw that it was just Kazuko.

"Taku," he complained. "You scared me. Why did you have to scream so loud?"

"I was calling your name countless times, but you weren't answering!" she replied. "So it's your fault!" He sighed. "Anyways, you better get going. Ai needs you." He nodded and went away. Kazuko warmly smiled and continued on her way to the classroom. However, she stopped in the middle of walking when she saw perhaps, the most handsome boy she has ever met.

The boy she saw was also the kid who Conan was judging earlier. Her eyes fell to his jet-black eyes and hair. She saw that his face could compare to what her dead father looked like when he was young. 'What am I doing?' she thought to herself. 'How can I fall for a kid? But he looks like otou-san when he was young. He's a kid, for God's sake! Hmmm, I wonder if I could ask him to be my date during the Valentines' Week… you've gotta be kidding me! Well, might as well give it a try.' She was very confused with what she was feeling, but, nonetheless, she started to walk to the boy, who was also staring at her since she arrived.

Conan silently hoped that Ai won't be as rough as he is thinking. He was now in front of Hakase's gate. He opened the gate carefully and he took a deep breath first before knocking on the door. Ai opened the door, glaring at him and Conan gulped. "Shouldn't you be at school, Conan?" she spat.

"Well, you didn't go to school as well. I was worried about you, so I went here."

"You don't need to worry about me, I'm fine. I didn't go to school today because I was too lazy. Now go back to class." She tried to close the door, but Conan prevented her.

"It's not because you're lazy, there IS something going on with you, and I'll figure out what it is. Please let me in."

Ai glared at him first, before she sighed. "All right." She opened the door and he went in. "But don't think I'm covering up for you once Kobayashi-sensei finds out that you've been cutting classes."

"I don't care about that. I care about you most of all." She sat on the couch and brought out a magazine while Conan simply stood up while talking to her. "I'm your boyfriend, Ai. It's all right to tell me your problems. We'll solve those problems together. Just tell me what's bothering you, you've been acting angry at me and Kazuko-chan ever since she came back. Did we do something wrong?"

"Maybe." Conan's eyes shot open.

"What? Tell me!" She didn't respond. "Come on, just tell me!" Still, there was no reply. "Damn it, Ai! Please answer me, I'm your boyfriend!"

She shot him a glare. "Boyfriend, are you really my boyfriend?" she spat.

"Are you out of your mind? Of course I am!"

"Seems to me you should change the name of your girlfriend from Ai Haibara to Kazuko Yamada."

The last words from her mouth went to his mind. "H-huh?! What are you saying?!"

She couldn't take it anymore. The tears she were holding back earlier were now freely falling as she stood up and went to him, face to face. "So now you're going to play dum instead of telling me the truth?! The truth that you like Nomura-san better than me!" He just stared at her wide-eyed.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about! I thought you were being troubled with things involving the organization, and now you're telling me that I like Kazuko-chan better than you? Don't be ridiculous!"

She beat his chest with her fists clenched. "Why are you denying the truth?! Don't fool with me! You've been spending more time with her for the past few days! I thought that you love me! I trusted you, and you broke my heart!"

Conan realized that she was being serious with her accusations. He stopped her hands from pounding on his chest. "Wait, Ai! You're misunderstanding things! I admit that I have been spending more time with Kazuko-chan but it was as friends! You know what, I gave up on Ran and chose you over her! I love you more than her! Why would you think that I would choose someone else over you?!"

She looked down on the ground, with her hair covering her red and swollen eyes. "Just get out, I don't want to see you…" She started to walk back to her room, but Conan wouldn't have it.

"Wait, Ai! Please!" He followed her and put a hand on her shoulder. But when he touched her, she turned around and he was met with a hard slap on the face. He looked at her shock while touching his left cheek where he was slapped. Her right hand left a mark on his face.

"Get out if you don't want to be slapped again…" she snarled. He decided to stop, knowing that she won't listen to him. He opened the door and looked back at Ai. His tears were freely flowing now. He didn't try to wipe them. He didn't know it, but Ai had a look of concern in her eyes. Before she knew it, he walked out the door.

He went out the gate just as Kazuko was walking home. She saw the tears in his eyes, as well as the huge handprint in his cheek so she ran to him with concern. She patted him on the back to at least calm him down. "Shinichi-kun, calm down. Tell me what happened." He sniffled and looked at her. She had never seen Conan like this. His eyes were full of tears that he was crying as if a person very close to him died. Because of the tears and sniffling, he wasn't able to speak. Instead, he pointed to himself, to Kazuko and to Hakase's house. He silently hoped that she would get what he meant. "You've gotta be kidding me!" she exclaimed. "Is she out of her mind?! Why the hell would she think that we're a couple?!" Conan smiled at her, she got it. "Don't worry, I'll go talk to her. This needs to stop!" She went inside as Conan walked away from the house.

The door sprang open with so much force. She saw Ai sitting on the couch, wiping her face. 'She must have been wiping her tears,' Kazuko thought.

"Why are you here?" said Ai in an emotionless voice. "Cutting classes like Conan?"

She put her bag down on the opposite couch. "No, Kobayashi-sensei told us all that we have no classes today because the school would be preparing for Valentines' Week. So Conan and I didn't cut classes."

Ai chuckled sarcastically. "Surely, you have found a date for the Valentines' Week? Good news, princess. I'm not going to attend anymore."

"Yeah, I found a date! And it's not Conan, for your information!"

Ai heightened her voice that it rivalled Kazuko's. "You're trying to deny it as well?! I already know, so don't bother hiding it from me! Shinichi's all yours!"

"Okay, this has gone far enough!" she bellowed. "First off, you get angry with the two of us, and now you're saying that me and Shinichi-kun are going out?! You've gotta be kidding me!"

She stood up. "Don't lie! You two have been spending too much time together for the past few days! I saw how he looks at you!"

"What if I was Ayumi-chan?!" Ai's eyes widened. "Would you still be angry?! Would you still be jealous?! Would you be angry at Shinichi-kun for just hanging out with Ayumi-chan?! Is it wrong for the boyfriend to be spending time with their friends?! You're just overreacting! And you know what? I admit, I do like Shinichi-kun. He's one of the kindest and smartest guys I've ever known. But you are in his heart, not me! We're just FRIENDS. F-R-I-E-N-D-S!" This made Ai sink to her knees, and the tears in her eyes were back again. She looked at the floor with regret and guilt. "I'm just his friend! And I may have met the love of my life in school earlier, and it's not Shinichi-kun! I will always support and respect your relationship, in fact, I'll be a matchmaker for you two! Do you know how much he was hurt when you slapped him?! Both physically and emotionally!"

"Oh, god! What have I done?! He was telling me the truth, yet I insisted he was lying! I pushed him away for no reason! I'm… I'm sorry, Nomura-san!" Kazuko approached her and patted her on the shoulder.

"It's not me who you should be saying sorry to. Go find him."

"But… but what if he changes his mind?! What if his love for me dies?! What if he goes back to Mouri-san?! And it would've been my fault!"

"Don't say that. He loves you and don't you dare question it. There's still plenty of time, go find him." Kazuko held her hand and pulled her up, only to be met with a hug. She felt Ai's tears hit the back of her shirt. She still kept saying "Sorry" over and over while Kazuko patted her on the back to calm her down. After half a minute, she stopped crying and Kazuko gave her a towel so she could wipe her tears. Ai smiled at her friend, and Kazuko smiled back.

"Thank you for showing me the truth, Nomura-san. I swear I'll find him." Ai quickly ran out the door, leaving a laughing Kazuko behind.

 **Two hours later…**

Ai searched all of the places Conan could've gone to. It was 1 in the afternoon and she was panting as she reached the park. Tears were welling up in her eyes once again as she began to lose hope in finding Conan. 'If I lose him…' she thought. 'It's your fault!' she shouted to herself. 'Why would I even question his love for me? He already took me out on a date even before we met Nomura-san… I'm such an idiot!' She found a bench and sat on it as she covered her eyes, which were filled with tears.

She kept crying for five minutes and her tears haven't stopped. Without knowing, her shoulder was being patted. She looked up and saw the face of the love of her life. "Why are you crying?" he asked out of concern. She noticed that his eyes didn't have tears anymore, the handprint in his cheek was also gone. She immediately stood up and hugged Conan tightly. The boy was shocked at first, but soon gave in. He felt that her tears were falling to his shirt, but he didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Shinichi!" she whimpered. "Please forgive me! I was such an idiot to think that you and Nomura-san were going out! I'm really sorry for slapping you earlier! If you want to, I'll extend the bet we made! I will do whatever you want for three weeks if you want, just please –" Conan silenced her with a finger to her lips.

"Oi, oi, slow down! Don't worry, I'm not angry. You just misunderstood some things. I forgive you, it's in the past. And please don't think about me and Kazuko-chan like that! She's pretty and all, but she's not my type. You're the only one I could love."

Out of pure joy, she pressed her lips to his, and this was the second time they have kissed since the incident at the Pacific Ocean. Conan held onto her hair and pushed his tongue into her mouth, intensifying their kiss. He wiped the tears of her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. After a whole minute, they gently pulled away, gasping for air. They smiled at each other before Conan held her hand. "Come on, let's go call Kazuko-chan and the others!" he said happily. "Let's go eat lunch, I'm buying!" Ai chuckled as she thought deeply to herself.

'Even if I was angry with him, he still understood my situation. Even if I slapped him out of anger, he still helped me. He's so understanding and he can forgive people easily. Those are just two of the many reasons on why I love him. Maybe, just maybe, he knew this was going to happen. Because he wasn't angry with me even after what I did to him. He didn't even think about going back to Mouri-san. He still continued to love and care for me even if I'm different than my normal self. He himself said that he'll always be at my side no matter what. I love him so much!'

Conan and Ai reached Hakase's house and invited both Kazuko and Agasa-hakase to eat with them at a restaurant. They called their other friends, and they came in no time. Conan happily led them all to a restaurant he said that he loved as a kid while holding Ai's hand, with everyone's smiles directed at the two of them.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Hey, Kudo. You support Kuroba, right?"**_

 _ **"Welcome to me casa!"**_

 _ **"I'm Nakamori Aoko, it's nice to meet you!"**_

 _ **"You again?!"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 21: KAITO KUROBA'S MOMENT, PART 1**_


	21. Kaito Kuroba's Moment, Part 1

_**Sorry about this chapter guys, it feels kind of lame for me. But I'll try to make it up with the next chapter! Well, BrilliantlyReckless, I can't force you to like Kazuko. I'll respect your opinion and hope we're on good terms. I'm having a hard time to write a new chapter because it's hard to think and combine Japanese names to form a good name. I don't want to copy from the anime, since I take it as a challenge. I had positive feedback on the last chapter, with some of my Wattpad readers calling Chapter 20 the best chapter yet. I thought no one would like it at first, but it turned out to be a really good chapter. If you can, leave a review regarding your favorite chapter as of now, and I'll take it as an encouragement. So with that out of the way, Kaito's journey to becoming a real detective is here!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I am the very best yet I still don't own DC. *cough Pokemon cough***_

* * *

It was 6 in the evening when Conan finally decided to go home. After eating lunch, they went to the park, playing various games, which doubled as reconciliation for him and Ai.

 **Flashback**

 _"Guys, hurry up, will you?" whined Conan as Ai held onto his hand. "I'm really hungry and I want to eat!"_

 _"Hey, Conan," said Genta. "Isn't that my line?"_

 _"I don't care, all I want is to make up for the lost time I haven't spent with this cute girl here." When he referred to her as "cute", she blushed lightly which made Conan pinch her cheek. As a reward, Ai smirked and punched him lightly in the arm. While the two bonded, Hakase and Kazuko spoke quietly to each other behind the five._

 _"Kazuko-kun," said Hakase. "It's a good thing you mended those two lovebirds back together, I almost thought that Ai-kun would break up with him!"_

 _"Well, I had to help them. They are my friends, after all. And it pained me to see Shinichi-kun crying so much earlier. And they fought because of me, I couldn't let that happen."_

 _"Oh, I thought that you felt something for Shinichi-kun which led to them fighting! I thought that you let him be with Ai for everyone's happiness!"_

 _She glared at the scientist. "Hakase, don't ever say that again! Shinichi-kun is just a friend to me, and I support the two of them! They are my first real friends ever since I shrank and I already have someone of my own!"_

 _Hakase's eyes widened. "Is there someone waiting for you back at your place like what happened with Shinichi-kun?"_

 _"No, I just met him this morning." Agasa-hakase raised an eyebrow. "He's 7, like Ayumi-chan and those two over there. He's so intelligent and has a wide knowledge of technology like you, Hakase."_

 _"Wait, don't tell me you fell for someone 10 years younger than you!"_

 _"Ssshhh!" Kazuko gestured for him to kneel for a while, so she could whisper to his ears directly. "There's something odd about him. When I spoke to him earlier, he had a composed voice, much like the voice of a teenager. And he's not just a prodigy in technology. He can tinker with robots and phones at a young age! That's weird for even a prodigy. For a normal child prodigy, performing various tests on phones and robots, is strange. He could've done those things once he reaches at least 14. He accepted my request for him to be my date on Valentines' Week."_

 _"What are you implying?"_

 _"I admit, though he's handsome and cool like Shinichi-kun, I chose him to be my date for a main reason. That was just the second reason for me to attend the event with him."_

 _"What is the reason?"_

 _"I think I may have found another victim of the drug." Hakase's eyes shot open. "He may be a teen at this moment, and the organization shrunk him. If there is the slightest chance that my theory is true, not only would I have someone to be with for the rest of my life," the background behind her turned into a field with butterflies and her eyes were replaced with hearts, and after a few seconds, it returned to normal. "We could also get him to join us in defeating the organization. Plus, since he is skilled in technology, you can make him your apprentice while he's still a kid, Hakase!"_

 _"That would be great, Kazuko-kun! If he is a victim of the drug, we could tell him about the antidote Ai-kun's working on, and get him back to his original size! But that is, if he IS a victim of the drug."_

 _"Right. Please don't tell Shinichi-kun or Ai-chan about any of this. This is something I have to figure out on my own." Hakase nodded and someone's voice interrupted their conversation._

 _"Hakase! Kazuko-chan!" called Conan. The two looked at him, and they noticed that they focused too much on their conversation which led to them trailing behind. "We don't have time to wait for the two of you! Hurry and catch up unless the both of you don't want to eat!" The two immediately ran towards the others, with Hakase giving the little girl a quick wink._

 **End of Flashback**

He walked back to the agency as some thoughts filled his mind. 'What were they talking about earlier? Probably just thinking about me and Ai being in good terms again. Come to think of it, we're going to Kaito's mansion tomorrow. I really hope we can help with his detective problem. But, I first hope that he's smart enough to solve a case on his own, I don't want to give away clues. I'm sure that Hattori feels the same way about him. What's more, there's no doubt that Saguru Hakuba will join in the investigation if there is a case. But, we believe in him. He can beat me as a thief, he can also beat Hakuba as a detective. But I hope those two figure out their competition would lead to nothing like what happened between Hattori and I. I'd rather see them work together in solving cases like me and Hattori instead of racing each other in finding the culprit.' He walked up the stairs and opened the door.

"Tadaima!" he said as he walked in. Heiji and Kazuha were sitting on the couch, talking to Ran. And Kogoro was sitting on his desk, looking bored as he watched TV. Unlike other times, he didn't complain that Heiji was there, he just headed for his room.

"Hey, gaki," said Mouri. "Where have you been?"

"I was at Hakase's." He threw his school bag onto his bed and sat on the couch with his arms behind his head beside Ran. "We had no classes today because the school was preparing for Valentines' Week, so I went to Hakase's to visit Ai and Kazuko-chan."

"Your school is also having Valentines' Week, Conan-kun?" asked Ran. The boy nodded. "Wow! So are we! I hope I can find myself someone to go with at the event!"

"Our school is also having the event!" said Kazuha. "And the one attending with me is this tanned ahou," she said as she ruffled Heiji's hair, making him chuckle. "I'm guessing that Conan-kun will be going with that cute girlfriend of his…"

"Yeah, I'm getting kind of excited!"

"Hey, Ran," said Kogoro, making his daughter look at him. "Could you cook us some dinner now, we should get some sleep early since we're going to that Kuroba kid's mansion tomorrow."

Ran stood up from her seat. "Of course, oto-san!" she exclaimed.

"I'll help!" squealed Kazuha, following her friend to the kitchen. Heiji decided that it was now the right time to talk to his best friend so he patted the boy on the shoulder.

"Can we talk for a sec?" he whispered. Conan nodded and led Heiji to his room. The boy closed the door and turned on the lights.

"So what do you want to talk about, Hattori?" asked Conan.

Heiji smirked. "Is it just me, or are you not pissed off that we came here today?"

"Well, I already knew you were coming today," he sat on his bed. "So there's nothing to be pissed off about."

"Can you show me the ID you found?"

Conan opened one of his cabinets and pulled out two IDs. He held out the two of them in each hand. Orochi's ID was on his left hand, while Mizuchi's ID was on his right. "This," holding up Orochi's, "was found during our family dinner. This was Akira-san's ID." He threw it to his friend, who caught it easily. "Sonoko was kidnapped last Monday. A member of the syndicate was the kidnapper. He told her the truth about Kudo Shinichi." Heiji's eyes widened. "As a result, she now knows who I am. This is the ID of the kidnapper." He also threw it to Heiji, as he began to examine the two IDs.

"These two definitely have the same design. That's just great. How many more members do we have to deal with?! We don't know if the Boss and Ryujin are still alive and now there are still members who are on the loose?!"

"Oi, oi, you have to take it out of your mind for a little while. I don't want to think of the worst, I already got slapped by Ai earlier…"

"Wait, she slapped you?!" Conan nodded. "What the hell did you do?!"

"Well, it was her fault to think that me and Kazuko-chan were going out. She got very jealous and angry with the both of us. Long story short, I went to her house earlier, she got angry and I got slapped, Kazuko-chan explained the truth, and then bing-bang-boom, everything's back to normal!"

"You didn't get angry with her?"

"She was confused with what's going on. There's no reason for me to get angry with her. Plus, I love her. If I get angry, it would just be friendly arguments with her."

"So you're looking to be the perfect girlfriend for her?" he teased.

Conan scoffed. "There's no such thing as a perfect boyfriend. Everyone makes mistakes, and nothing can stop that. Remember that when you go on a date with Kazuha-chan."

"Thanks for the tip." Heiji yawned and lied down on the bed. "Hey, Kudo. You support Kuroba, right?" Conan nodded. What do you think he has planned for tomorrow? I don't want to stick inside his mansion for the whole day, I want to get some fresh air and run around! I don't want any cases to happen just as we get there!"

"Yeah, I'm not planning to laze around as well. Although, I would like to see a case and Kaito will solve it. If he doesn't have anything up his sleeve, I'll put him to sleep. Now come on, go to sleep after we eat. Why are you so tired anyway?"

Heiji stood up from the bed and yawned again. "Just did four rounds with Kazuha this morning."

Hearing this made Conan blow steam out of his ears and blushed red at the thought of Heiji's statement.

 **Tomorrow…**

It was 7 in the morning, and no one was awake yet. But, a knock on the door was heard. It wasn't loud enough for anyone to wake up. It became louder and louder for the next thirty seconds. Ran couldn't take it anymore so she carefully went got out of the bed, so Kazuha won't wake up. She stretched her arms a bit and slowly walked towards the door. She yawned as she opened the door. The guy who was outside was the last person she could have expected to come. 'Shinichi?' she thought. She may have been just dreaming, so she wiped her eyes and stared into the eyes of the teenage boy, making him raise an eyebrow. The girl beside him also raised an eyebrow at her.

"Um, Ran-san, why are you staring at me like that?" asked Kaito. Ran thought that the voice was nothing like Shinichi's, so she stopped staring at him.

"Oh, it's just you, Kuroba-kun, I thought it was Shinichi," replied Ran. She looked at the clock for a moment, and turned back to him. "It's seven in the morning, and you're now here? I thought you'll be coming at eight?"

"Well, I like to be early." Both him and Aoko walked inside with Ran raising an eyebrow not because of Kaito, but because of the girl beside him that is almost identical to her own appearance. She looked at her hair for a moment, and realized that they didn't have the same hairstyle.

"Kuroba-kun?" Kaito turned around and looked at Ran. "Who is she?" she pointed at Aoko.

"Oh, she's the girl I was talking to you about!" he exclaimed. "Kind of ironic, isn't it? I look like Shinichi while she looks like you!"

Aoko stepped forward and held out her hand. "I'm Nakamori Aoko, it's nice to meet you!"

Ran accepted the handshake. "So you're Nakamori-keibu's daughter?" Aoko nodded. "My name's Mouri Ran. It's a pleasure to meet you! Are you and Kuroba-kun going out?"

Both Kaito and Aoko turned red instantly as Kaito kept saying "No" over and over again even before she could complain. The voice of Kaito was enough to wake up both Conan and Heiji. The two scratched their heads and glared at the door with the same thought, 'What the hell are Ran and Kazuha thinking, screaming so loud?!' Both of them walked to the door as Heiji started to open it and screamed, "Oi, can't you see we're trying to sleep?!" His eyes then shot open when he saw Kaito. "Why are you here so early, Kuroba? I thought you'll be coming here at 8!"

"I just like to be early, got a problem?!" Heiji noticed that he spoke in a voice that would be enough to start a fight. Too lazy to even speak, he decided to stop.

"Alright, alright, I get it," he went to the couch with Conan and both of them yawned once again.

Conan looked at both Ran and Aoko back and forth and noticed their almost identical look. 'Hmmm, looks like Ran has a twin sister. Probably Kaito's girlfriend.' he thought. At the same time, Kazuha rose out of bed and glared at the door like what Heiji and Conan did. She opened the door and was about to shout, when her eyes first caught two Rans.

She rubbed her eyes. "Ran-chan?" she said. "Since when did there become two of you?!" Everybody exploded into laughing when they heard what she said. Heiji and Conan were the ones who laughed the loudest, with Ran and Aoko only giggling, while Kaito laughed normally. "Huh? Why is everyone laughing?"

Ran was the one who spoke. "Kazuha-chan, seems you easily forgot who this is," pointing to Aoko. "Remember the picture Kuroba-kun showed us last week?" She nodded. "Well, you're looking at the girl at the picture! This is Nakamori Aoko, Kuroba-kun's friend."

Aoko went to Kazuha and stretched out her hand. "How do you do?" she asked.

Kazuha accepted the handshake. "I'm fine. Name's Toyama Kazuha, a pleasure to meet you, Aoko-chan!"

 **A few minutes later…**

Even though Kaito and Aoko ate before they left earlier, they couldn't resist Ran's delicious cooking. Kogoro also woke up, and was now washing his face to get ready for breakfast. Conan elbowed Kaito gently in the stomach to make the former thief notice him. "Are you sure you're ready for a case?" asked Conan. "We don't want you to embarrass yourself when you make your deductions."

"I can do it," replied Kaito. "I know I can. Well, that is if a case does happen. You guys support me, right?" Both Conan and Heiji nodded. "Oh, that reminds me, that bastard Hakuba might be sticking his nose in once he finds out that there is a case. What do I do when he does?"

Conan looked at Heiji and winked at him. The Osakan detective grinned and both looked back at their friend. "Just do your best," said Heiji. "There are times when a detective makes mistakes, it's part of nature. There was this one time when my deductions were all wrong, then Kudo came to correct everything."

"Hey, I remember that case!" said Ran. "It was during the time you first came here right, Hattori-kun?"

"Bingo. It's natural for people to make mistakes, Kuroba. You can't change that."

"Heiji, I thought you were as good as Shinichi! How could you even make a mistake?"

Heiji shrugged his shoulders. "It was because of my arrogant attitude."

"Serves you right!" teased Kazuha.

"I ain't talking to you, ahou!" he screamed in front of Kazuha's face.

"Hey, hey, Kaito," said Aoko as she chewed her rice. "What are you three talking about? Cases, deductions, detectives, and you included Hakuba-kun! What's gotten into your little head?"

"Looks like you don't know yet, Aoko. I'm done being a magician. I've decided to be a detective instead." Aoko's eyes widened.

"But your father is a magician! You're not going to continue his legacy?"

"Otou-san would want me to pursue what I really want and what I excel in. I've never a good magician, anyway. But when I saw how Heiji and Shinichi solve cases, and I got to be a part of it, I would like to know how it is to be a detective." Aoko warmly smiled, and Kaito returned it with a with grin.

"Looks like the couple is happy right now!" teased Kazuha. Aoko and Kaito both turned deep red and shouted the same words at the same time.

"WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" they screamed as Mouri put both his hands to his ears, desperate to at least muffle their voices since he was sitting next to Aoko.

When their screams stopped, Kogoro lets go of his ears and continues eating. "So for how many days are we going to stay at your house?" he asked. "A month?" he joked.

"Just over the weekend. After this weekend, just tell me anytime you want to visit, and I'll go here to pick you up, and we can have fun at my place." All of them, excluding Kaito and Aoko, shouted "YATTA!" in excitement.

 **Two hours later…**

Ran and Kazuha nearly took an hour for each of them to take a bath. Because of this, Kogoro told Conan, Kaito, and Heiji to buy two packs of bread from the convenience store, saying that Ran will use it to cook their dinner herself. Not wanting to spoil the expected flavor of her cooking, the trio instantly ran out the agency as Conan led them to the store. They had a little chat while walking. "So, Shinichi… where's the ID of the DS member you were talking about?" asked Kaito.

"It's back at the agency," replied Conan. "Hattori saw it last night. Well, actually it's two IDs. One was the ID of Akira-san, the man I talked about when I called. The other was Mizuchi's ID. He's another member that tried to lure me into a trap by kidnapping Sonoko. He also told her the truth about me."

"So she knows who you are now, Shinichi?"

"Pretty much, Kuroba," said Heiji. "Well, since Ran-chan's best friend knows about Kudo now, it's only a matter of time before she finds out the truth as well." He smirked at the boy, hoping he would get a reaction from his teasing. "I wonder what she would say when she finds out that you stepped in a shower together with her!"

Hearing this made Kaito hold in a vomit, but Conan just shrugged his shoulders. "I'll take whatever she does to me. It's my fault anyway for leaving without saying goodbye. And when she thought that I was gone for so long, I was just there beside her. And that's a good thing for me. To just be there by her side and make her smile just like what a brother would do for his sister, it proves to me that she doesn't need Kudo Shinichi in her life." Kaito and Heiji's eyes widened. "I'll take whatever punch and kick she gives me, as long as I know that she's happy with her life now. So is your question answered, Hattori?" The boy looked at Heiji, who was too preoccupied to speak.

"Actually, it was answered even before you gave me that long answer." Conan glared at him, while Heij's smirk grew. Fearing that this would cause tension over the weekend, Kaito stepped in between the two of them and stretched out his arms, separating the two detectives.

"Come on, you two… now's not the right time to act like kids. Let's go get those bread and we'll be on our way. Both of them sighed and nodded.

After buying the packs of bread, the trio headed back to the agency, where Ran and Kazuha just finished packing their clothes. Heiji, Conan, and Mouri took their bags and headed outside with Aoko and Kaito. Kogoro threw the keys to Ran, who caught it perfectly. All of them waited outside for the two girls who were still inside, in the process, Mouri spoke up. "Hey, Kurobrat," he laughed to himself at the new nickname he came up with. Heiji, Conan, and Aoko laughed out loud, while a large vein appeared on Kaito's head. "How do we go to your house? Is it far from here?"

Still angry, he just pointed to Aoko, not wanting to answer his question. So Kogoro instead looked at the girl. "We'll just take one train," said Aoko. "It's not that far from Beika." Mouri, Conan, and Heiji nodded as Ran and Kazuha went outside. Then, seeing that everyone is prepared, they set off.

 **One hour later…**

The whole group was standing in front of two beautiful doors. All of them, excluding Aoko and Kaito, were really impressed with the former magician's house. They felt like they went to a millionaire's house. Conan thought to himself. 'Wow. What if Kazuko-chan's real house is this big as well? Kaito wasn't kidding about a mansion as his house. How many people are inside at the moment?' Kaito knocked on the door, which only took a few seconds for it to open.

"Welcome home, son!" exclaimed the figure of Kaito's mom, Chikage Kuroba. Kaito pulled her for a hug, before pulling away and gesturing for everybody to come inside.

"Welcome to me casa!" said Kaito, as he threw his arms open, presenting his house to their eyes. "This is my okaasan, Chikage." He pointed to the woman beside him who bowed in front of them. "Ran-san, the kitchen is in the right hall. You can take the bread we bought there and cook the food you were talking about earlier." Ran happily nodded as she took both Aoko and Kazuha's hands and they went through the right hallway. Kaito and Chikage led the way to the living room.

"My son here has talked about his friends in Tokyo, he said that he likes to stay there for a month or two because of his two friends. Is that right?" She looked at Conan, Heiji, and Kogoro, but only two of them nodded. She looked at Mouri. "If I'm right, you're the famous detective, Mouri Kogoro."

"Yeah…" replied Mouri.

"Well, if you can watch over my son every time he is in Beika, I'll be willing to let him anytime he wants since you are a famous detective. And if anything bad happens to him, you can easily find out. So what is your decision?" Kogoro rested his chin on his hand while Kaito, Heiji, and Conan stared at him. It took a full minute for him to give his answer.

"I'm sorry, but I can't watch over him." Kaito, Conan, and Heiji's faces fell. "I'm sorry, but I already am watching over two Osakan brats whenever they're in Beika, I can't bear to add another."

Chikage shrugged her shoulders. "Well, son, you heard the man. You can only go to Beika for a visit, but you can't stay there."

"But, okaasan… I don't need him to watch over me, I can take care of myself. I'm going to be a detective now, I don't want to be a magician anymore. If you could just give me money, I could stay at aunt and –"

"No buts! What Mouri-tantei said is final! And how could you be a detective, you haven't even solved a case yet! You'll be a magician because that's what your father is until he died. Now, come on. Let's go cool down in the living room." On the way, Conan, Heiji, and Kaito glared at Kogoro, who gulped in fear.

When they reached the living room, the trio talked to one another. "Damn it, how can we convince her that I'm a detective now? I really want to stay at Beika for like a week!"

"We just need to hope that a case would happen today," said Heiji. "How long are we staying here?"

"Until tomorrow," said Conan. "We have school on Monday, and it's Valentines' Week remember? We only have until today and tomorrow to find a case to solve and get your mother to believe you. But where should we start?"

"I know!" said Kaito. "We should start at Ekoda High School! That's my school, and it's only a walking distance from here. We could check it out first after we eat lunch!"

"Good idea, Kuroba. Wait, I almost forgot. Could you show me and Kudo the place where you keep your gadgets and costumes? We really want to see it. Is it a secret room or some kind of fortress?"

"Sorry, Heiji. I asked my butler to clean out every costume I have and burn it all so no one would see them. You're kind of late in asking me." Both Conan and Heiji sighed. "But I still have my gadgets and I can show you them if you want." Both of their faces lit up and nodded as Kaito led the way to his room.

"Where are you three running off to?" asked Chikage.

"We're just going to my room!" exclaimed Kaito as they went up the stairs.

Meanwhile, two of the girls raised an eyebrow at Ran, who was slicing ham into small strips. "Ran-san, what is that food called again?" asked Aoko.

"Oh, I saw this in a cookbook at bookstore in Beika," replied Ran, looking up at her friends. "It's called Pizza Squares, it's popular in America."

"Do you think it tastes good, Ran-chan?" asked Kazuha.

"Well, we won't know if we won't try, Kazuha-chan. Now stop staring and cut the bread the boys bought into squares. I'll get started on the sauce after I finish slicing this ham." An idea popped into the girl's head. "Oh, Aoko-chan? I forgot to ask you something."

Aoko stopped cutting bread for a moment and looked at Ran. "What is it, Ran-san?"

"Sorry to invade in your personal world, but do you like Kuroba-kun?" The question made Aoko turn as red as blood while Kazuha chuckled to herself.

"What are you talking about, Ran-san?! Why are you suggesting that I like that Bakaito?!"

"Well, you two seem like you're close to each other and not to mention, you share the same relationship like me with Shinichi."

Aoko smirked, hoping for some payback. Who's this Shinichi? Is he boyfriend?"

"No, he's my childhood friend. I used to have feelings for him but he has someone else now. Why are you asking?" Ran smirked. "Hoping to make me embarrassed? You still haven't answered my question. Do you like Kuroba-kun?"

"No," she stuttered. "We're just friends. I don't know if he likes me or not, but I don't like him in the way you're thinking." She continued on cutting the bread while Ran's smirk grew wider and wider.

 **12:00 P.M.**

Everyone sat down at the dining table. Ran's Pizza Squares made Conan, Heiji, and Kaito's mouths water. So without hesitation, they instantly ate everything that was on their plate, much to everyone's confusion. "Son, is there something wrong?" asked Chikage. "You three have been eating like you're being chased by horses."

"No, okaasan. It's just that these Pizza Squares taste so good and because me, Heiji, and this boy are going to my school after lunch."

"Can we come as well?" asked Kazuha and Kaito nodded.

After only ten minutes, the trio of detectives were waiting at the front door for another five minutes for their girl companions to finish eating. "Any chance that Hakuba will be present if there's a case?" asked Heiji.

"Have you met before?" asked Kaito.

"Yeah, he even competed with me in terms of skills. I have to say he's like me in terms of arrogance."

"Who won between the two of you?" Kaito had a glimpse of hope in his eyes, that Saguru may be not as smart as he thought.

Heiji shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't matter who won between the two of us." Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Kudo here taught me that in detective work, there's no winning or losing." Kaito looked at Conan.

"It's because there is only one truth," Conan finished. Kaito smiled warmly before a girl's voice.

"MOVE, YOU THREE!" screamed Kazuha. "WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GO TO KUROBA-KUN AND AOKO-CHAN'S SCHOOL, AND YOU THREE KEEP CHATTING!" The trio of detectives ran away from the girls, desperate to escape their possible rage, leaving Aoko and Ran laughing at the boys' overreactiveness.

After only ten minutes, they reached Ekoda High School. Kaito raised an eyebrow when he saw Akako sitting on a bench, holding her phone. 'Why is she always here?' he thought. "Well, guys, here we are! Welcome to Ekoda High School!"

"Wow, it's like our school at Beika!" said Ran.

"I always go here during the weekends to practice soccer, while Aoko over there likes to cheer me on whenever she sees me." Aoko blushed lightly. "Let's go to the field first, and maybe me and Heiji-kun can play a quick game."

Heiji stepped forward. "You're on! I won't lose to a magician like you." Both of them smirked, each one not wanting to lose to the other.

They continued to head for the field until a familiar blonde-haired teen came across their way. "Well, if it isn't Kuroba-kun… what brings you here on a typical Saturday?" he said while smirking at his rival.

"Would you get out of my way? I'm here to have a quick match with a friend, teme," snarled Kaito.

"Oh, really? Maybe I can cheer him on and watch him beat you. Where is he?" Conan narrowed his eyes at the Saguru.

'So he's the detective Kaito's been talking about. He needs to be taught a lesson in competition. Good luck in knocking sense into him, Kaito,' Conan thought.

Heiji stepped forward with an emotionless face. "Long time no see, Hakuba," he stated as the girls behind the trio watched on with amazement.

Saguru's eyes widened. "You again?!"

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"You missed me?"**_

 _ **"I've already solved the crime."**_

 _ **"No, you're wrong."**_

 _ **"I-it can't be!"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 22: KAITO KUROBA'S MOMENT, PART 2**_


	22. Kaito Kuroba's Moment, Part 2

_**Wow, what a ride it was! This chapter really brought out the inner logic in me! But it was worth it! I don't have that much to say right now, so better move on with the fanfic! By the way, the first quarter exams is just a week ahead for me, maybe it'll take me some time to write the next chap. Please give reviews for this chapter! Because I think that this has the best mystery case so far…**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I'm fired up yet I still don't own DC *cough Fairy Tail cough* LOL**_

* * *

Heiji stepped forward again that their faces were a few inches from each other and smirked. "You missed me?" he teased. Saguru scoffed and slightly pushed Heiji away in disgust.

"Why would I miss you? Surely Kuroba-kun has been keeping you company because you're with each other right now."

"Oooh, what's with the attitude? Still haven't moved on from the time when I've beaten you in a case?" Kaito's eyes widened in amazement. Heiji actually defeated Saguru in a case before.

Saguru gritted his teeth. "Don't try to bring that up again! Otherwise you'll be facing the consequences!"

"Try me!" Saguru just narrowed his eyes and left the group as he sat on a nearby bench. Heiji turned around to see all of his friends staring at him with wide-eyes, which creeped him out a bit. "Why are you all staring at me?"

"You beat him before, Heiji?" asked Kaito, which earned a nod from his friend. "Wow, I never thought you could… Come on, let's get on with our game!" They continued to the field with Saguru glaring at both Kaito and Heiji.

It was a close fight, but Kaito ultimately won with 3-2 in under twenty minutes. During their match, an audience started to form, consisting of both students and teachers of the school. Throughout their spar, the audience was split; almost all cheered on for Kaito, since they know him, while some fought back for Heiji even if he was new there. After their match, Kazuha and Aoko went to them to give them towels each. "Taku, you two were taking the match too seriously!" whined Aoko, causing Kaito and Heiji to smile in embarrassment. "You two should he thankful to Conan-kun over there," she pointed to Conan, who was sitting on a bench speaking with Ran. "It was a good thing he knew the way back to the house so he went there to get you two a fresh batch of shirts."

"Sorry, Aoko-san," said Heiji. "None of us wanted to give in, also I haven't been able to let loose since my Kendo training last Monday, and Kuroba here put up a good fight." He raised his fist, which Kaito turned into a fist bump.

"Cheer up, Aoko!" said Kaito. "I'll treat everyone to some ramen later, so you won't feel too bad, okay?" Aoko smiled warmly.

"Anyway, here are your clothes, you two," said Kazuha as she handed a t-shirt to each of them. "Are we going to stay here at your school until later, Kuroba-kun?"

Finding an excuse so he could hide the truth that they were in fact, waiting for a case to happen, he looked at Heiji, whom he hoped had an answer to her question, but didn't have any. So he just said the best his brain could come up with. "I… I still have something to do here, Kazuha-san," he stated, hoping that she would buy his excuse. She sighed and nodded, which made the former magician sigh in relief. Just as the two friends could set off to change, a voice stopped them in their tracks. "Your skills in soccer has just increased, Kuroba-kun," they turned to see the man behind the voice. The man looked like he was in his 30s, had eyeglasses, bore a goatee along with a small mustache. "Well done, indeed." The man started to walk to them and stopped directly in front of Kaito.

"Oh, I didn't think you would be here, Ishida-sensei," replied Kaito.

"Well, I was jogging around my usual route during weekends when I saw you playing against this fellow," he said, pointing at Heiji.

"So that's why you're sweaty right now?" Kaito asked, which earned a nod from the teacher.

"And you, young man," he said, turning to Heiji. "May I know your name? Your skills in soccer are incredible earlier!"

"Hattori Heiji," replied the Osakan detective, which made Ishida-sensei's eyes widen in surprise.

"Y-you're that famous h-high school detective from O-Osaka?"

"Yeah, is there a problem?" Heiji threw the shirt he was going to change into on his shoulder and put his hands back in his pockets.

"No, I was just surprised to see that a detective like you would be seen here when you're all the way from Osaka."

"Kuroba invited me here, so go blame him. Anyway, we'll be changing our shirts now! Let's go, Kuroba!" he patted Kaito on the shoulder as they set off inside the school. Ishida-sensei also left as well. Before Kaito could run with Heiji, he saw Akako's fingers, gesturing that she wants to talk with him.

"Heiji!" he called, and his friend turned around. "You go on ahead, I'll catch up." Heiji nodded and continued on his way inside the school. Kaito went to Akako, who stood up from her seat, with her arms crossed. "Is there something that you need me for, Akako?" he asked.

"I'm just curious to know who are the people with you today," she replied. "They don't look like any of our classmates and it looks like they aren't from around here."

"Oh, is that it? I'm sorry, they are my friends from Tokyo. I invited them to stay at my house for this weekend."

"I didn't know Aoko had a twin, Kuroba-kun."

'Heh,' he thought to himself. 'I was hoping she would say that.' "She's not her twin," he corrected, making Akako raise an eyebrow. "She just happens to look like her for some unknown reason. Is that all you want to talk to me about?"

"Yeah, that's all. And congratulations for winning your match earlier." Hearing this made Kaito's eyes widen. "I was cheering for you even though I kept quiet. Go on with whatever you're doing, I'll just be here." She winked at him as she sat down, which made the former magician blush slightly at her sudden action. He smiled and nodded shyly at her, as he continued his way inside the school.

Kaito managed to find Heiji at the boys' locker room where he was wiping himself clean of his sweat. "What took you so long?" asked Heiji.

"Sorry, a friend of mine wanted to talk to me," said Kaito. "Why? Were you feeling lonely without me?" he said with a smirk which made his friend scoff in annoyance.

"No! I just wanted to ask you on what you were gonna do if there's no case happening at your school? Do you have any more ideas on where we would find a case to solve?"

"Not really. If there's no case here today, we might as well go back to the mansion. Okaasan may be wondering on where we are right now." Just as he was finished speaking, the door opened and they were nervous on who it was. If it was Saguru, who came to piss them off, they'll beat him up and leave him there. If it was Kazuha, Ran, and Aoko, they'd yell at them non-stop for an entire day. But they sighed in relief when they saw that it was just Conan. "Kami, you sure scared us, Shinichi!" exclaimed Kaito.

"Why? What did I do?" asked Conan.

"We thought some other person is going in and we would've beaten up that person," said Heiji.

"Well, don't bother. I'm not planning to stay here, anyway. It's just that Kazuha-chan is getting angry because you're still not finished changing your shirt, Hattori. Which is a task that can be finished in three minutes or so." Conan smirked while Heiji was in fear of what Kazuha would do to him. "You two better hurry up, unless you want two girls beating you up."

"Wait for me, Kudo!" said Heiji in total fear as he desperately wiped his sweat with his towel.

"Hey, wait for me as well!" yelled Kaito, who is also desperate in avoiding any kind of beating that the girls might give him. "I hope Kimura-sensei never finds out about this…" he muttered to himself, which was also heard by his two friends.

"Who's that?" asked Conan. "A teacher of yours?"

"No, he's our principal." Heiji and Conan's eyes widened.

"You call the principal, 'sensei'?!"

"Even if he's the school principal, he has a few classes under his belt. The original principal died last year due to a battle with cancer, and Kimura-sensei was the one chosen between two teachers who were very close to him that time."

"Oh, I thought you were trying to be disrespectful," said Heiji, which earned a scoff from Kaito. "Why are you hoping that he won't find out about this?"

"It's because he doesn't like students going inside the school during the weekends. He always gets pissed off when loud and mischievous students make a mess inside the school. After Kaito put on his shirt and was now wiping his sweat off with a towel that Aoko gave him.

"Then why would you want to change clothes here if the school's principal is pissed off with students going here on weekends? We could have found a place outside!"

"I didn't ask for you to come with me, you know! Go change outside, if you want to. There's a huge line of fangirls waiting for you to do it, anyway." This made the Osakan detective think about what his friends said. A huge number of fangirls could be great for him, but Kazuha would beat him up even before he could say a thing.

"Yeah, you're right, Kuroba. I'm sorry. We need to get out of here if we want to avoid that principal." Both him and Kaito stood up, and Conan stopped leaning on the door. The boy waited for his friends as they walked out together. Just as the three detectives were about to set foot outside the building, something loud stopped them in their tracks. A scream. A woman's scream. It originated from the second floor, yet it was heard throughout the whole first floor as well. The trio looked at the direction at which the scream came from.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Conan, who had impressive hearing abilities for a kid, followed where the scream originated and ran towards the stairs with his two friends by his side. When they got to the second floor, the trio looked at both the right and left hallways, with the latter catching their attention. A woman who was most likely in her late 30s, was seated on the floor, leaning on the opposite door of the room she was looking at. Her eyes and mouth were wide open and her arms were shaking. The trio went to her, and Kaito was the one who spoke up since he knew who the woman was.

"Ukita-sensei, what's wrong?" asked Kaito. The woman named Ukita raised an arm shakily and pointed it at the room she was looking at and they looked at what's inside. Ishida-sensei, whom they met earlier, was standing behind the desk in the middle of the room and had flashed the same look as Ukita-sensei. But what made the trio's eyes widen in shock was the body of a man lying behind the desk near Ishida-sensei. Only his face and shoulders were visible; he was bald, had small sideburns, and his eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping. Kaito's statement made it worse. "Kimura-sensei?!"

With shaking arms, Ishida-sensei tried to reach out to the lifeless body of the principal before his eyes. "K-Kimura-sensei?" he stuttered, but was stopped in what he was about to do by Heiji.

"Don't touch him!" he exclaimed. "Ishida-sensei, get out of there and call police and an ambulance!" Ishida-sensei quickly headed out and ran along the left hallway, to a phone near the end. Conan and Heiji entered the room and looked for clues, as Saguru finished running up the stairs, with Ran, Aoko, and Kazuha following closely behind. When the blonde detective got the first view of his rival, whose hands were in his pockets and staring at the first room of the left hallway blankly, he quickly approached him.

"Kuroba-kun!" he called out which, luckily, was enough to get the former magician's attention. "I heard somebody scream, what happened?" Not wanting to be distracted from his thoughts, Kaito pointed to the room in front of him, and Saguru looked inside. He was also taken aback at the sight of Kimura-sensei lying in front of him. He saw Heiji, whom he presumed was investigating, so he took the chance of finding out more. But he first wanted to make sure that he was doing the proper investigation. "Hattori-kun, have you called for an ambulance and the police?" he asked, earning a nod from Heiji. Kaito was busy explaining to Ran, Kazuha, and Aoko about the person who was lying on the floor. "How did you find the body when you got here?"

"Ask that teacher that question when the police get here," Heiji stated, pointing to Ukita-sensei, who was still seated at the floor outside the room.

It only took a few minutes for the police to get there. Nakamori-keibu and a few men went inside and he wasn't surprised at seeing Saguru there. But Heiji and Conan weren't present, and it was Kaito who was there. Both teens were examining the body. "What do you brats think you're doing?!" said the inspector angrily. "Get out of here and leave this to the police!"

"But Nakamori-keibu," said Saguru. "I'm trying to solve the case here, tell that to Kuroba-kun instead." He smirked at his rival, who was calmly observing the lifeless principal.

"Just give me a moment," said Kaito. "I'm on my way out anyway." The inspector decided to let them with what they want and focused on the crime scene. From the viewpoint of a person outside, it could be said that Kimura-sensei fell to the left, which mirrored the point of view from behind the desk. An officer went behind the body and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Is something wrong?" asked Nakamori-keibu.

"Keibu, there is blood on the victim's back!" answered the police officer. Nakamori-keibu went behind the body and saw that it was indeed covered in blood.

"So, this is a murder," said the blonde detective with a smirk which made the inspector raise an eyebrow at him.

"How could you say that this is a murder?"

Saguru walked closer to the body and knelt down. "From what I heard from your daughter, Ishida-sensei, Ukita-sensei, and Kuroba-kun, Kimura-sensei fell over. When Ishida-sensei and Ukita-sensei went here, they saw him sitting on his chair looking down. They tried to call him out many times but he wasn't responding. So Ishida-sensei went inside and when he touched Kimura-sensei's shoulder, his body instantly fell over to the side and I highly doubt that somebody can commit suicide without standing up. And Ukita-sensei said that his eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping."

"Is he the school principal?" Saguru nodded. Nakamori-keibu looked at Kaito, who was still observing the body, deep in thought. "Oi, Kuroba!" he called, which was enough for Kaito to pay attention to him. "Go find the two teachers your friend here is talking about so you could be of use here!" he commanded and the former magician nodded. On his way out, he smelled something unusual.

'I can smell oil paint here,' he said in his mind as he continued to sniff out the smell. He looked at the six paintings inside the room, which were undeniably made with oil paint. 'The paintings here are created using oil paint, so that explains why.' But his eyes widened when something at the bottom left of all the paintings caught his attention. He smirked and continued on his way out. 'I see. That's how the culprit played it. By the way, where did the three girls go? I know Heiji and Shinichi went back home but where did Aoko, Ran-san, and Kazuha-san go to? They probably got hungry while watching my game earlier.'

 **Meanwhile…**

Heiji and Conan, followed by Ran, Kazuha, and Aoko opened the doors to the mansion and went to the living room, where they saw Kaito's mom, Chikage, drinking tea at a chair. "You're back too early," she stated. "I thought you would take until afternoon. Come on everyone, sit down." Everyone sat down on the two separate couches as she put down her cup at the small table in front of her. Chikage noticed that there was someone in the group who was missing, her son. "Why is Kaito not with you?"

"Kuroba-kun no okaasan," said Ran. "Kuroba-kun is still at school. A murder happened there and he stayed behind."

"Why would he stay behind? Just let the police take care of that!"

"He's going to solve the case," said Kazuha, which made Chikage raise an eyebrow.

She sighed and leaned back on her chair. "That boy just doesn't know what is the meaning of "That's final". When he gets back here, I'll make sure he learns his lesson."

"The reason why we came back here was to pick you up," said Aoko. "We want you to come with us and let's watch Kaito solve the case. You'll see that he can figure out the murder of Kimura-sensei."

"No means no!" she snapped. "I've already said that he isn't going to be a detective. He'll stick with being a magician!"

"Please, Chikage-obasan! Please give him a chance to prove himself! He really wants to show you that he has what it takes to be a detective like Hattori-kun here."

Chikage sighed again and stood up. "All right, I'll go with you. But if that no-good brat messes himself up during the case, we're leaving with him. I'm not the type of person who gives second chances." The five of them smiled while Conan and Heiji had the same thought.

'You can do it, man… we know you can. Show her what you got!'

Ukita-sensei and Ishida-sensei were inside the room, as Nakamori-keibu prepared his questions for the two of them. But another man joined the party when an officer went inside with a janitor who was middle-aged, saying that he was cleaning the second floor hallway at the time of death. "Judging from the blood, the death was instant," the inspector began. "We have no information about the of death yet, but it's quite obvious that it was most likely between 1 and 1:30 today. I want you three to tell me where you were and what you were doing that time." He first pointed to Ishida-sensei.

"I was at the grounds, watching Kuroba-kun during his match with a friend of his," he stated, holding his satchel next to his chest as Saguru spoke up beside the inspector.

"I can confirm his alibi, keibu. I saw him talking to Kuroba-kun that time." Nakamori-keibu nodded and turned to Ukita-sensei.

"I was in one of the classrooms at the first floor, recording grades. Ishida-sensei went to me, and said that we should go ask Kimura-sensei if he wants to eat outside after we're done in the school." The inspector turned to the janitor.

"I… I was… cleaning the… second floor hallway that time… since I was finished with the first floor," said the janitor.

"It also means that you and Ukita-sensei here are the possible culprits for this murder," said Saguru. Kaito, who was watching secretly outside, walked away in deep thought. He knew he had to solve the case right.

"B-but this room was locked, right?" said the janitor, with a hint of hope in his eyes. "There are only two keys for this room, you know! The first one belongs to the principal, and the second is the master key! But the master key is at the teachers' room of this school! I'm not allowed to go there, so I can't be the culprit."

Before Nakamori-keibu could respond, Saguru scoffed. "I've already solved the crime." Everyone's eyes widened while the blonde detective bragged in his thoughts. 'Sorry, Hattori-kun, but I'll be the one stealing the show today!' "The trick to that is very simple, and I'll show it to you." He walked to the body and borrowed a pair of gloves from a nearby officer. He knelt down and reached inside the victim's right pocket, much to the inspector's annoyance and before he could say something, everyone's eyes widened when they saw something come out of the inner pocket. A key holder with the key to the room attached to it. Saguru smirked and held up the key holder. "This is the principal's key, and the culprit used a very clever trick to turn this murder into a locked room one." He reached inside his right pocket and brought out a very long piece of thread and a needle. "I found this thread and needle at the room opposite to this while Kuroba-kun was searching for Ishida-sensei and Ukita-sensei. Please follow me as I execute this trick. First pass the thread through the small hole of the key holder until the end of the thread and tie the end up. Next, attach the needle to the other side of the thread." He paused speaking for a moment to do the first two steps of the trick. He went to the chair where Kimura-sensei sat and looked at Nakamori-keibu. "Keibu, could you please act as the victim?" The inspector first raised an eyebrow, but then went to sit on the chair. "Then, pass the needle under the inner pocket and pull it out." He reached inside the inspector's pocket and the needle came out just under the his inner pocket. "Afterwards, using the length of the thread, the culprit held both ends and went outside the room." Saguru held the two ends and walked outside until the thread was spent. "Since the door can be locked from both inside and outside, the culprit closed the door and pulled the end of the thread where the needle was." Saguru closed the door and pulled on the end where the needle was. Everyone, even Nakamori-keibu himself, looked on as the key holder was dragged up into the desk, and fell again. Many gasped when the key holder went inside Nakamori-keibu's pocket. "And with a little more force," Saguru continued, this time, a little louder. "The culprit pulled on the thread, breaking the knot that held the key holder and pulled the remaining thread in." He pulled the rest of the thread outside and Saguru opened the door, put down the thread and needle on the desk along with the gloves. "He then locked the door from the outside using the master key. Which means that the culprit is you," he turned around and pointed to one of the teachers. "Ukita-sensei!" The woman's eyes widened and gasped. "You probably weren't really recording grades. Instead, you went to this room, and you must have something to talk about with Kimura-sensei. When he turned his back on you, you stabbed him from behind." The woman looked down on the floor. "You then set his body up in the sitting position he was in earlier and performed the trick I did to create the perfect locked room. What's more, the teachers' room also had a lock that required a key which only the teachers had. You are the only one who could've done it."

"No, you're wrong," said a voice from outside the room. Everyone's eyes shot open as the looked at the person who objected with Saguru's deduction. The blonde detective thought that it was Heiji who was speaking, but it was the last person he was expecting.

"You're wrong, Hakuba," said Kaito with a smirk as he leaned on the doorway. Conan and the others arrived just as the former magician went inside. They watched as Saguru gritted his teeth at Kaito.

"You were just given a simple task, Kuroba-kun!" he yelled. "You were just told to find Ukita-sensei and Ishida-sensei, and now you have the guts to tell me my deduction was wrong?! Are you trying to play detective?!"

Kaito put his hands on his pockets. "No, I'm here to tell the truth. The truth that your deduction is wrong."

Saguru scoffed. "What part about my deduction do you think is wrong? Perhaps you weren't here to watch how I solved this case!"

"It all started when you told everyone the trick on how this room was locked."

"Oi, Kuroba!" said Nakamori-keibu. "Hakuba showed the trick earlier with a thread and needle, and the key holder went into my inner pocket!"

Kaito looked at him. "Are you really sure it's in your inner pocket, Nakamori-keibu?" Before the inspector could react to what he said, Saguru was already beside him.

"Of course it is!" he screamed. "I'll show you!" he reached inside the inspector's right pocket and turned it inside out, which shocked everyone because the key holder directly came out of the pocket, and not the inner one. Saguru gasped and he couldn't believe it. "WHAT?! I-It can't be!" He held the key holder and scratched his hair. "I'm sure I passed the needle at the right spot!"

Kaito breathed deeply. "It's because Nakamori-keibu was sitting down." Saguru looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "When the victim was sitting down, his pants folded, so the path for the key holder to go through is narrowed."

Saguru stood up. "But there's a small chance that the key holder could've –"

Kaito shook his head. "It's impossible. No matter how many times you do it, the key holder won't go inside the inner pocket. What's more, Kimura-sensei was overweight," everyone took a glance at the victim's body, which was now in a stretcher, and he was overweight. "Think about what the key holder looked like when it came out of the victim's inner pocket." Saguru thought about it, as well as Nakamori-keibu, and their eyes widened. "That's right. It was folded cleanly in the inner pocket until the moment it came out."

Saguru held both the thread and needle on the desk. "But I found these on the room over there!" he said, pointing to the room opposite the principal's office.

Kaito reached inside his left pocket and brought out two pieces of thread and needles. "I also found two pairs of those in the rooms where I looked for Ishida-sensei and Ukita-sensei. My guess is that these are scattered throughout the school." Conan and Heiji grinned at their friend. The three girls were impressed with Kaito's deduction. And Chikage couldn't believe that her son was solving a case in front of her eyes.

"Wait, why would there be many of these?!"

"The culprit knew that you were a detective, Hakuba," he said which earned a huge "WHAT?!" from his rival. "He knew that you were a high school detective so he tricked you with a murder method that you could find out easily, which would be used to camouflage the real murder method."

"Are you saying this is a suicide, Kuroba?!" asked Nakamori-keibu.

"No. The culprit used a very clever trick to hide the real reason how Kimura-sensei died. And the only one who could do that is you, Ishida-sensei!" Everyone looked at the male teacher, who was shocked about his accusation, but gained composure.

"What are you saying, Kuroba-kun?" he asked. "Wasn't I with you downstairs when Kimura-sensei was killed?"

"Yeah, you're alibi is perfect, sensei. If Kimura-sensei was really murdered during that time!" Saguru raised an eyebrow at Kaito, he was surprised at his rival's reasoning, that was enough to beat his own. "Before you went down, you were here talking to Kimura-sensei. Then, you put him to sleep from behind with a handkerchief, or some other way. You arranged his body in the sitting position on the chair and while he was sleeping, that was when you fooled everyone with the cause of death."

"What do you mean, Kuroba?" asked Nakamori-keibu.

"Don't you all smell something weird in this room?" All police officers and Saguru sniffed and the blonde detective was the one who replied.

"I think I smell paint, but I can't tell. It's kind of faint."

"You're right, it is paint. But it's not from the paintings in this room. The paint is actually the blood that is on Kimura-sensei's back!"

"NANI?!" shrieked the inspector. "Hey, someone smell the victim's back! Tell me if it smells like paint!"

An officer knelt down and turned the victim to his side so he could smell his back. He gasped. "Keibu! I can definitely smell the paint on the victim's back!"

Kaito looked back on Ishida-sensei, who was glaring at the floor. "After putting Kimura-sensei to sleep, Ishida-sensei painted his back and made it look like fake blood. He then heard the footsteps of the janitor here, who was cleaning the second floor, and quickly ran outside and locked the door. He didn't use the trick that Hakuba explained earlier. Instead, he used a duplicate master key to lock the door, meaning the key holder was in the victim's pocket all along!" Saguru's eyes widened even more. Afterwards, he ran outside where we saw him. Thus, creating the perfect alibi."

"But, Kuroba! How did he kill the victim if he didn't stab him from behind?"

"When Ishida-sensei went back here, he invited Ukita-sensei to go with him to the principal's office, where they would invite Kimura-sensei to eat outside with them. He unlocked the door with the real master key and they saw the sleeping figure of Kimura-sensei, sitting behind the desk. When Ishida-sensei went behind him, he used a syringe to inject a lethal poison into the victim's nape, fooling us completely that the cause of death was a stab to the back." Just as Nakamori-keibu was about to make someone check if there is such, an officer already had a thumbs-up, confirming Kaito's deduction. "The death was instant, creating an almost perfect crime." Ishida-sensei's glare at the floor morphed into a smirk.

"What a splendid deduction, Kuroba-kun," he stated. "But you can't prove that I killed Kimura-sensei without any proof. And why would I kill him anyway?"

"Just admit it, sensei. I saw you earlier at the canteen, right? When I was looking for you. You threw something at the trash can, and my guess is that was the syringe that you used." Ishida-sensei gasped. "If I'm correct, the paint you used for the crime should be inside that bag of yours that you were holding tightly ever since you were being questioned."

"Are you really sure, Kuroba?! Someone, check his bag!" But before an officer could even get to him, Ishida-sensei raised a hand and emptied out the bag himself by letting everything inside drop out. The paint and paintbrush also came out, and Saguru was in total shock that Kaito actually beat him in a case.

The teacher sighed. "A year ago, Arada-sensei, the original principal, was dying because of cancer. Me and Kimura were fighting over the position, and I worked very hard for it. But that bastard turned the tables when he framed me for stealing the money of the school. Because of that, he was the one chosen. He still kept me as a teacher here, and he promised that I would take over everything after him as a way of saying "Sorry", but my anger towards him was so much greater." He sank to his knees as tears flowed out his eyes. "I worked so hard to be principal but he ruined my chance! If he just used hard work to win the position, this wouldn't have happened!"

Aoko bid farewell to her father as the police were leaving with Ishida-sensei. Kaito looked at his friends, who were smiling at him, showing that they were amazed with his deduction. When he saw his mother smiling as well, he forced himself not to cry. But, he had to thank Saguru for that, because the blonde detective was chuckling behind him. "Wow, Kuroba-kun, this day bas proven yourself as my real rival," he said with a smirk. "You beat me at my own game and your deductions have beaten me. Congratulations in doing so, my rival."

Kaito turned around. "Bahrou. A friend of mine, who is also a detective, told me that in detective work, there's no winning or losing, there's no being first or last, it's because there is always only one single truth."

Hearing this made Saguru's eyes shot open, but then closed as he smirked. "I guess you're right. I was being so obsessed with beating Hattori-kun in a case that I lost my cool. Thank you for that." When he opened his eyes, Kaito's outstretched hand met his gaze.

"I'd like to solve cases together, rather than try to beat you," said Kaito in a neutral tone. "You're still my rival, but the people who are in danger is what matters in a case, not the competition. But if you really want to, I'll leave you alone."

Saguru's smirk turned into a grin as he accepted the handshake, signaling the reconciliation for the two rivals while Conan and Heiji looked on with a wide grin, remembering the time when they first worked together to solve a case, as it would happen to the two teenagers inside the room.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Shinichi-kun is being a Prince Charming!"**_

 _ **"Ready to go?"**_

 _ **"This is my date!"**_

 _ **"Something's up with Kazuko-chan…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 23: VALENTINES' WEEK, PART 1**_


	23. Valentines' Week, Part 1

**_I read the review by that one guest and yeah, I'm sorry about last chapter. It's just that I didn't have enough time to think of an original case in which Hakuba makes a mistake and Kaito comes in to solve it. Check it again. You'll see that the only things that I copied from the anime is the trick on how the door was locked and how the victim died. And I don't know what's problematic with writing the solution to a case step by step, I need to do it. And that guest should understand my position. I don't want to get character names from the anime, so I HAVE to come up with character names. But don't worry, that's the last chapter in which I am copying something from the anime… I hope. I just wanted to finish the chapter because like what I said, the first quarter examinations are near, and I'm out for a while. And I can't just leave a Part 1 chapter without a Part 2. I finished Chapter 22 for you guys. I had to do it so you have something to read about while I'm gone. And that guest better read what genre is this fanfic. You shouldn't care about the cases at all, but rather the overall plot and romance, because that's what this story is all about, right? It's about Conan and Haibara, not the cases. If it was, I wouldn't have let any romance be in the fanfic. Let's get this straight. I was wrong, and that guest was wrong too.I'm calling out that guest. Try to imagine yourself in my position. If you were to create your own case for last chapter, would it be hard? For me it is. You see, I have to balance studies and this fanfic. Let's say you did create your own case, but how long did it take? For me, I want to finish a chapter as fast as I can because there's a high chance that I'll leave a story out of laziness. Lastly, don't blame me about the cases. I wrote in chapter 4 that you can suggest a mystery case to me and I'll write it. I have nothing from you guys so I have to come up with my own. But, it's in the past now. Anyway, here's Valentines' Week and I hope you'll like it. I'm also introducing another character to the fanfic as you read. Enjoy!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I have destroyed the One Ring yet I still don't own DC *cough Lord of the Rings cough*_**

* * *

Kaito broke the handshake and nodded at his rival, who simply smiled back as he went out, joining his friends and his mother going back home. Ran, Aoko, and Kazuha kept ruffling his hair as they went down, while receiving punches to the arm by his two best friends. When they reached the grounds, he once again saw Akako gesturing that she wants to talk to him. Kaito broke from the group silently and quickly went to the bench where she was. "Can you make it quick, Akako?" he asked. "We're gonna go home and it's only a matter of time before they notice that I'm not with them."

"Don't worry, this won't take long," she said with a smirk. "I just want to congratulate you in solving the murder case upstairs. I'm impressed that you actually beat Hakuba even though he is the detective around here."

Kaito scratched the back of his head while blushing. "Well, it's nothing. I had to do it since he was taking the case in a wrong direction. Thanks, anyway."

Akako stood up. "I'll be going as well. See you around." She walked away but not without giving one more wink at the former magician, making him blush harder than last time. "You know, Akako," he said. "I'm getting really creeped out with your actions. You always pop out of nowhere and in front of me all the time. Do you… like me or something?"

Akako turned red and immediately shook her head. "No, Kuroba-kun! Of course not!" That was what she said but her feelings say otherwise. "It's just because I still owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my life a two weeks ago. I don't know how to repay you, and that's why I always talk to you, so I can find out how to."

"Oh, is it because of that?" He sighed in relief. "Don't bother giving me anything. I'll always be here for the people I care about. What's more, I'm starting to like you," she forced herself not to turn red, much because she knows that he didn't mean what she thought. "I don't understand how, but I'm really starting to like you as a friend. What's more, close friend." Kaito leaned forward that their faces were nearly touching while Akako took a step back and blushed. "Don't give me anything, okay?" He pressed his forehead to hers. "Your good side is good enough for me." He broke their contact, much to her disappointment and waved his hand. "See you tomorrow." He walked away, and for a second time, the girl put her hand on her chest, feeling her rapidly beating heart as she smiled.

Kaito managed to catch up to his group just as Aoko turned around and looked at him. He was panting in exhaustion but gave her a thumbs-up."Well, it looks like Kaito's exhausted," she said. "Maybe this will at least give you something to cheer about." Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Your mother was impressed with you, so you can go to Beika anytime you want now."Kaito's face lit up as he looked at his mother for confirmation.

"Hontou?!" he asked. His mother warmly smiled and Kaito raised both his arms into the air in triumph. All of them chuckled as they reached the mansion.

They had a nice dinner courtesy of Ran and the following day, Saguru called Kaito, asking the former magician to meet up with him, as he wants to know what it was like to solve cases with a partner. There was a murder case near his house, so Kaito went there and he first tried to persuade Conan and Heiji to come along, but they turned down the offer, saying that he should enjoy every second of it alone. As expected, they solved the case quickly; in less than two hours, showing that they are a formidable duo like Shinichi and Heiji. When Kaito came back at 3:23 in the afternoon, he saw Heiji and the others packing up their things. "You guys are leaving?" he asked them all as he drank some water from a glass.

"Yeah," replied Mouri while he was neatly folding his unused clothes into his bag. "The kids have school tomorrow and you as well, so we better get going."

"Don't worry about it so much, Kuroba-kun!" said Ran. "We'll visit again if you or your mom asks us to. Or since you are now allowed to be at Beika, you'll be the one visiting us!"

"Sounds good, I'll look forward to it!"

A few more minutes later,Kaito and Aoko escorted their departing friends to the train station. Heiji and Kazuha bought separate tickets to Osaka. Kaito and Aoko said their last farewells as the group split apart. Conan, Ran, and Kogoro took the train back to Beika while Heiji and Kazuhatook a train going to Osaka.

 **Tomorrow…**

Conan woke up earlier than usual so he could go to Hakase's because it was now Valentines' Week! Sonoko, who arrived at the agency, a few more minutes after Conan woke up, was surprised as well. The boy woke Ran up, much to the girl's surprise but went to the kitchen immediately to cook breakfast. Conan yawned and sat at the table, with Sonoko waiting for him. "Oi, Shinichi-kun, you're up pretty early today!" she said. Conan looked at her with an annoyed look. "You're excited for Valentines' Week, aren't you?" she teased.

"So what if I am?" he replied. "Surely, you have got something planned for Kyugoku-san already, am I right?"

He smirked because her face was all red from his response. But she managed to shake off the blush. "Yes, I have. And I think you woke up early because you're going to pick up Ai-chan, am I correct?" The boy sighed and nodded. She smirked and gave a slap to his back, which caught him off guard. "Shinichi-kun is being a Prince Charming!" she announced. Conan noticed that her voice could be enough to get Ran's attention so he raised a finger to his lips, telling her to shut her mouth. When she noticed him, she immediately clamped her mouth with both hands, realizing what she had done. Unfortunately for them, Ran set the food down on the table and she had a serious look on her face. Conan started to sweat and Sonoko began to regret shouting a while ago. Ran sat down on the table and raised her eyebrow at the two of them. The boy silently cursed Sonoko for exposing his identity.

"Sonoko, he was always a Prince Charming!" stated and Conan's eyes widened. "I know that he isn't really here, but I think that he was watching over me. He always checked up on how I'm doing, and he never lets a case be unsolved!" The two were actually surprised that Ran went through her entire statement without having a blush on her face.

"Ran, you're not affected by Shinichi-kun anymore?"

Ran warmly smiled at her best friend. "It's in the past Sonoko, we are now only friends and it's going to stay that way. I must let go of the past and focus on what's happening in the present, because I may hurt someone's feelings with just a single decision."

Sonoko whistled. "Wow, where'd the smooth words come from?"

"I just heard it on TV. Now Conan-kun, eat up if you want to go to Ai-chan today!" Conan quickly nodded and focused on eating his breakfast.

Conan decided to head out early, so he bid farewell to Ran and Sonoko. The boy went to Hakase's home, opened the gate, and knocked on the door. Kazuko was the one who met his eyes. "Hey, Shinichi-kun!" she said, raising her hand for a high five which Conan accepted. "You're pretty early today, looks like you really want to spend some time with Ai-chan, don't you?" The boy grinned embarrassingly while the girl smirked at him. Kazuko looked behind her. "Ai-chan, Shinichi-kun is here!" she called. Not long after that, the door fully opened and Ai came into the scene. Conan felt like he was about to faint any second because of what she was wearing.

A yellow blouse that complemented her strawberry blonde hair and she wore purple leggings that showed her beautiful legs. 'Damn it,' Conan thought. 'Why does she always makes the simplest of outfits become eye-catching whenever she wears them? I only wore a green polo shirt today with my usual pants… it's embarrassing.'

Ai snapped her fingers in front of Conan's face which brought him back into reality. "Hey, Conan! Where were you staring at?"

He scratched the back of his head. "N-nothing! Anyway, can I comein since you two aren't finished yet?" The two girls went to the couch and Conan followed after them. The couple noticed that Kazuko was mouthing words which caused them to look at each other with a raised eyebrow. Ai raised her eyebrows at her friend while looking at Conan, signifying that he should find out if there is something wrong with her. Conan nodded and went to his friend.

Kazuko's eyes were closed tightly as she silently muttered sentences to herself. "Hey, Kazuko-chan," said Conan as he put his hand on her shoulder.

This made the girl shriek in fear as she turned around and gave a punch to whoever touched her. "KYAA!" It hit Conan square on the jaw as he hit the floor. Ai chuckled sarcastically while Kazuko had a look of concern on your face.

"What the hell has gotten into you?!" asked Conan as he stood up, holding his jaw where her fist made contact with.

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "It was your fault. Don't sneak up on me like that again. Otherwise, it won't also be your jaw who meets my punch next time." Not wanting to press this topic further, the boy sighed and nodded annoyingly. Suddenly, her mood changed and announced, "Ready to go?" in a cheerful voice which made the detective sweat-drop. Ai held Conan's hand as she nodded. "Then let's go!" She got off the couch and headed to the door.

"By the way, Kazuko-chan," said Conan, which made the girl look at him for a moment. "If you're coming as well, who's your date?" Ai looked at her blushing friend, waiting for an answer.

"Y-you'll see him later," she replied with a fiery red blush on her face. She turned around and continued on walking out, leaving the two lovebirds raising an eyebrow at her actions.

When the three reached the school, every tree there was decorated with streamers and confetti, along with the benches decorated with a Valentines' Day theme. They were not taken aback, but rather impressed with the effort of the school. Once they reached their classroom, they saw Mitsuhiko chatting with Ayumi near their seats. When Mitsuhiko caught them in his sight, he waved his hand in greeting. Ayumi noticed this and waved her hand as well. The girl noticed that Conan and Ai came since they were a couple, but she waa surprised when she saw Kazuko present for the day as well. She had no date with her, so Ayumi decided to find out what is going on. "Kazuko-chan, why are you here if you have no date?" she asked.

"Oh, you'll all see him later!" she squeaked with a small blush on her face, which made all her friends raise an eyebrow in confusion. This moment came to an end when Kobayashi-sensei opened the door. The kids saw Shiratori-keibu give their teacher a quick kiss on the cheek, making the woman blush and it gave the detectives a smirk on their faces.

Kobayashi-sensei went to her desk with Conan and the others humming a romantic tune which made the teacher's face as red as blood. Soon after, the whole class joined in humming, and this forced Kobayashi-sensei to slam a ruler to her desk, silencing the whole class, but there were still students who were trying to hold in their laughter. "All right, everyone! That's enough!" she announced. Everyone became quiet after that. "Has everyone found their date for the week yet?"

"HAI!" screamed the class in unison.

"Everyone who has his/her dates in the classroom, please stand up!" Nearly everyone in the room stood up, including Conan, Ai, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi. Kobayashi-sensei did a quick scan of the room, and smiled at the students. "Everyone who has/her dates in other classrooms, please stand up!" Kazuko, along with a few other students, stood up. "All right, everyone, later at 9:30, we'll be going up to the auditorium at the third floor so that our head teacher would be able to explain how this event will play through the week. For now, everyone who has his/her dates in the classroom, please write your name and your date's name here in this paper." She set down a long piece of paper on her desk with a pen beside it. "Form a line here in front." Conan and Ai were in front, followed by Mitsuhiko and Ayumi. Once everyone had written their names, Kobayashi-sensei read the paper, and gave a slight chuckle on who were the ones together. "Everyone who has his/her dates at other classrooms, you'll be signing upstairs later on." She checked the time on her new wristwatch, which was a gift from Shiratori-keibu, and it was 8:45. "Everyone, take a thirty-minute break and be back here at exactly 9:15!"

"HAI!" shouted the whole class once more.

As Kobayashi-sensei left the room, Kazuko immediately went to her two shrunken friends. "Come on, you two! I'll show you who my date is!" Conan and Ai simply shrugged and nodded as their friend led them to the school noticed that Kazuko was shifting her gaze from tree to tree which they found unlikely for her to be doing. When her eyes finally settled on one tree, she immediately ran to it, with her friends following closely behind. Conan's eyes widened when he saw the same boy sitting at the bench there.

'Wait a sec!' Conan thought. 'Don't tell me that boy is Kazuko-chan's date for the week?!'

When they reached the tree, the boy stopped with opening the case of his phone, much to Ai's confusion, and looked up at them. "There you are, Yamada-san," he spoke in a lowvoice. "I thought you would be absent for today." Conan smirked at him, being confused as to why Kazuko would choose him as her date. But Ai thought that she made the right decision because she saw him tinkering on a phone, and due to the fact that he was handsome himself.

Kazuko smiled embarrassingly, and turned to her two friends. "This is my date! His name is –" She suddenly scratched the back of her head and was stumped, because she didn't know what was his name. This made Conan and Ai more confused with her. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name when we met." Conan and Ai sweat-dropped at her statement.

"Fujimoto Ryuuichi," the boy said as he bowed slighty. "If I'm not mistaken, those two with you right now are your friends, right?" Kazuko nodded. "Based on what I have heard, the boy with you is Edogawa Conan and the girl is his girlfriend, Haibara Ai," he said, shifting his gaze to the two behind Kazuko. "Do you three know what that means?" Conan and Ai shook their heads.

"No," replied Kazuko.

Ryuuichi put down his phone and stood up, making the three more interested in the boy. All of a sudden, he grabbed Kazuko's shoulder and pulled her closer to him, much to the girl's embarrassment and this made her two friends raise their eyebrows at the boy. "May the best couple win!" he spoke in a cheerful, but somehow childish voice that made Conan, Ai, and Kazuko nearly faint out of confusion. They had a massive sweat drop on their faces, due to his sudden change in voice and attitude. Conan chuckled sarcastically, wondering why Kazuko chose a boy like him.

When the whole scene came to an end, the four sat down on the bench, and listened to Ryuuichi's voice. "I'm sorry about my creepy voice earlier, I just like to mess with people," he said while scratching the back of his head. Conan, Ai, and Kazuko did a fake grin, and behind it, was an enraged look on their three faces. "As I have said, I'm Fujimoto Ryuuichi and I'm in class 1-A here."

"Um, Ryuuichi-kun, where do you live?" asked Kazuko.

"Just about two blocks from here. You could say that I'm always an early bird when it comes to going to school." Just as Conan was about to ask a question to him, Kazuko's voice beat him to it.

"Who's living with you?"

"My brother died four years ago, and my father passed away a year after that due to a heart attack. I am currently living with my mother." Kazuko rested her chin on her fist, and Conan thought that this was now his chance to ask a question.

"Ryuu –"

"How are you so good in technology?" spoke the loud voice of Kazuko which got Conan to shut up and let out an irritate groan.

"I can't say I'm really good, since I'm still a kid. I am just simply playing with things, but I am planning to be an engineer, or a technician, oran inventor someday. Oyaji was skilled in these kinds of stuff, so it may not be surprising for me to get seen playing with my phones or tablets." The three were in deep thought, considering what he just said.

'I guess he wasn't a child prodigy after all,' Conan thought.

'I can't believe Yamada-san just chose some random kid to be her date!' Ai thought. 'I thought earlier that I could compare his skills to Hakase's, but it turns out it was all just a stupid joke.'

'He's got to be lying about not being good at technology,' Kazuko accused in her mind. 'No little kid can make a spider robot move. And what's more, I think he goes to school early for a reason. I don't know what it is, but I'll figure it out. I'm sorry, guys, but I'm the only one who can solve the truth about this guy. The big question is: Is he a victim of Apotoxin 4869 or not?' The three were snapped out of their thoughts when they finally heard Ryuuichi's continuous snapping of fingers in front of them.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" yelled the three in unison, which made Ryuuichi flinch a bit.

"I don't know what you were daydreaming about but the bell already rang, you know." Conan, Ai, and Kazuko's faces flushed, then they stood up.

"See you upstairs, Ryuuichi-kun," said Kazuko with a warm smile on her face. The boy nodded and the three turned around to head for their classroom.

When they opened the door, Kobayashi-sensei was already standing behind her desk looking at the three. "Why are you three late?" she asked.

"We're sorry, Sensei," said Kazuko. "We were just too hungry so we took our time in eating."

"Alright, just make sure to get back here on time, I can allow you to finish your food here if needed." The three nodded and went back to their , she told the whole class to form lines outside, boys and girls in alphabetical order. They went up to the auditorium and it was quite a spacious one. Kazuko broke off from the line with a few students to write their names on a registration table. When they were done, they joined their classmates who were occupying the first, second, third rows of chairs. Kazuko sat beside Ai, who was beside Conan.

"How long do you think this will take?" asked Kazuko.

"I hope it doesn't go past twenty minutes," said Conan with a yawn. "I'm getting sleepy."

"Try to sleep and you won't get any snacks while we're here," said Ai in her usual voice.

Conan scoffed. "What makes you think that you can order me around? Don't forget that the bet is still ongoing." Hearing this made Ai mentally scream in her head. "Speaking of snacks, can you go downstairs? I have four chocolate bars for the day and we can have one each." His girlfriend sighed, stood up, and headed downstairs to their classroom.

While Ai was gone, he noticed that Kazuko was muttering silent words to herself again. It's as if she was talking to herself. 'Again…' the boy thought. 'What's wrong with her? Is she nervous? Is she regretting her decision to join?' Conan raised an eyebrow and decided to discuss this matter with Ai.

A few minutes later, the auditorium was full of children which made it difficult for Ai to find her way back. She came back to them just as the head teacher of Teitan Primary School, Takada-sensei, walked up on the stage in front of them with a tapped on the mic to make sure it was working and started to speak. "Ohayo, mina!" he said.

"OHAYO, TAKADA-SENSEI!" was the sentence heard from the mixed voices inside the hall.

"Do you know what we are celebrating this week?"

"VALENTINES' DAY!"

"Very good! Now, throughout the whole week, the school has various booths scattered everywhere for everyone with their dates to join in. Has everyone here got a date?"

"HAI!"

"The school is all yours to enjoy until Friday. But there will be one contest held throughout the whole week. And if you and your date are lucky enough, you can win prizes! Who wants to join?" There were various screams filling the room, with many of the kids raising their hands, and Conan was really getting annoyed.

"Looks like everyone is determined to win!The contest is simple. Throughout the week, when you and your date spend time with each other, take a picture of yourselves. You can take as many pictures as you want! Submit them before Thursday ends so we could reveal who are the winners on Friday. Everyone is allowed to join, and there's no need to sign up." Conan, Ai, and Kazuko suddenly became interested in the said contest. "There will be two pairs of winners declared on Friday. One is the King and Queen of Hearts and the other is the Prince and Princess of Hearts. You and your partner can be chosen as the winner individually, but for those lucky couples who win together, will receive a big prize from us!" Loud cheers and applauses echoed throughout the auditorium, and Conan smiled, wanting to know what would be the prize.

'I don't know what prize it is, but I like the sound of it,' he thought. 'I'll give this contest a shot.'

'Maybe it wasn't really a bad idea to participate in this event, after all,' Ai said in her mind. 'This would be a good way of spending time with Shinichi and taking a break from creating the antidote. He was right, I should learn how to relax and enjoy life sometimes.'

Kazuko's eyes suddenly turned into big hearts and a garden appeared behind her. 'I'm so excited to see me and Ryuuichi-kun become declared as "Prince and Princess of Hearts!" I wonder what should we do first?' Her face and the background suddenly turned into normal. 'Wait, I can't just look forward to romance! Remember, I need to figure out the truth about Ryuuichi-kun!' Her eyes became hearts again. 'But he's so handsome! I've never seen anyone like him in my life!' Kazuko's innder struggle seemed to have attracted Conan and Ai's attention since she was muttering to herself yet again.

"Something's up with Kazuko-chan," Conan whispered to his girlfriend. "I've noticed that she was talking to herself the whole morning and I haven't got a clue on what she is muttering about."

"I've noticed that too," said Ai."I'll try to find out what's the reason behind it." Conan nodded and the turned their attention back on Takada-sensei.

"You have five days to spend time with your date," said the head teacher. "After this, you have two hours to start bonding with your date! Afterwards, everyone will go home and continue tomorrow, and the day after that, and so forth. There are no school activities or homework for this week, since this is an extracurricular event. But those who did not attend this event would be the ones with activities and homework to do." Hearing this, Conan, Ai, Kazuko, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko suddenly imagined Genta screaming his head off because of homework, which brought great laughter upon the detectives. "Remember, mina! The event isn't about winning the contest! It's about spending time with your date! Arigato, mina!" The teacher bowed slightly and got off the stage. He gave the mic to another teacher.

"MINA, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR SEATS! WE WILL EXIT THE AUDITORIUM BY CLASS!"

It took fifteen minutes for class 1-B to finally exit the auditorium, much to Conan's annoyance. Nonetheless, he held Ai's hand and smiled warmly at her, causing her to blush a little, as they led the class out of the hall and into a romantic road ahead.

* * *

 ** _Next on I'll Always Be Here…_**

 ** _"Yamada-san, is something bothering you?"_**

 ** _"You're right about what you think…"_**

 ** _"A couple has won the awards, King of Hearts and Queen of Hearts!"_**

 ** _"I'm not interested in solving cases…"_**

 ** _CHAPTER 24: VALENTINES' WEEK, PART 2_**


	24. Valentines' Week, Part 2

_**YEEEESSSSS! I am still f-ing alive! Wow, that wait was longer than "The Dreadful Dinner" chapter, so I'm really sorry about that. The exams have ended, but my writing problem just got worse because my dad just came home from Qatar and he will be taking a vacation with us for a whole month! Expect that it'll take longer for me to finish a chapter because he's so excited in spending the next weeks with me and my little sister. Also, I have an announcement, which will also serve as a teaser. A member of the Black Organization here will be turning good after the first battle against them. I hope you're alright with that, because I've already decided how the story will progress starting here. What's more, that member will have a chapter dedicated to himself/herself that has a flashback which will show why he/she turned against the syndicate. Are you thrilled to find out who? I'm thinking that that chapter will be in the 30s, so it may be a long wait… But I hope that all of my readers continue on supporting me since it helps boost my determination. Also, I have a girl in my life now! She liked me first, and after I got to talk to her, I liked her too! This will surely help in the romance of the story because I'm using my experience! Leave a review if you can and tell there which member do you think I'm going to turn to the good side… Until next time!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I have mastered the four elements yet I still don't own DC *cough Avatar cough***_

* * *

As the three were heading back to their classroom, they found themselves meeting a familiar face as it happened to cross paths with them. "Yamada-san, I was looking for you everywhere," stated Ryuuichi.

Kazuko's face turned red. "Y-you were?" Conan and Ai smirked because of her reaction. Kazuko saw them so she shook her head to fight off her blush. "W-why?"

"Stop fooling around and let's go!" He grabbed Kazuko's hand and walked away from Conan and Ai.

"Wait!" Ryuuichi stopped for a moment and looked at her. "Where are we going?"

"Of course, we're going to the booths around here! You chose me as your date, right? So let's go!" Kazuko had to catch up with his running and she couldn't break off their contact.

As Ai watched her friend run off, Conan's voice was the next thing that she heard. "I think we all know who will be _King_ of Hearts and _Queen_ of Hearts."

She crossed her arms and smirked at him. "What makes you think that we'll win those awards, Conan?"

"It's because you and I are a couple now, and we can spend time together whenever we want! We're not shy around each other like what normal people are when they go out with someone. Come on, let's get to a booth, we have at least two hours of fun." He held her hand and she leaned her head towards his shoulder as they walked down the stairs.

When they were downstairs to the grounds, Kazuko and Ryuuichi were nowhere to be found. But they didn't care since they don't want to disturb the two of them with whatever they're doing. They went to a garbage bin first to throw away the chocolate bar wrappers, and they headed to the nearest booth they saw which was under the shade of a nearby tree. The booth was named, "Trust booth" and there were two people there, a man with a camera and a woman with a pen and paper. When the two saw Conan and Ai, the woman cleared her throat. "Welcome to the Trust Booth! The only thing you have to do is catch your partner as he/she falls down! Sign in this paper and you're good to go!" She handed the paper to Conan, who wrote his and Ai's name on the first and second rows, indicating that they were the first to try the booth. After he wrote their names and the date, he gave back the paper.

The woman went closer to them. "Little girl!" she called, and Ai looked at her. "Please stand on the bench next to the booth." She pointed to the bench and Ai stood up there. "Now turn around and stretch out your arms." Ai did as she was told and started laughing to herself about how embarrassing this was for her. "Now just feel free and let yourself fall. If you truly trust your partner here that he'll catch you, you'll do so. If you hesitate, it's okay." The woman turned to Conan. "Now, stand behind her, little boy." Conan went directly behind his girlfriend. "Be ready to catch her, try to stay focused."

'This is easy,' he thought to himself. His thoughts were immediately cut off when he saw Ai let herself fall, without even informing him. 'Why you!' He stretched his arms forward and caught her perfectly but her weight nearly caused his arms to give in which also brought him down to one knee, and surprisingly, he didn't. Her back was mere inches from the ground as she looked up at him with a smirk and Conan returned an annoyed look. He helped her stood up and the woman began to speak again.

"Splendid! You two were amazing! Thank you for trying out our booth!" The man with the camera went closer to them, and gave them 3 pictures which were about the two. One was Ai standing on the bench and Conan behind her. The other was Conan reaching out his arms and catching the girl. The last one was Ai being held in Conan's arms. The couple smiled at the photos as the boy put them in his pocket.

"ARIGATO!" the two said as they left. Conan wrapped his arm around Ai, causing the girl to blush deeply. They saw a snack cart near the school's main doors, so he grabbed Ai's hand and ran there, which caused her to nearly lose her balance. Conan brought out his wallet and bought to cones of cotton candy. He gave the other to his girlfriend, who accepted it happily.

Meanwhile, Kazuko and Ryuuichi have just tried the "Hit the Plates" game behind the school, and the girl was really lucky. But it wasn't about her hitting ten plates in a row. It was about Ryuuichi winning the game for her. After he won, he chose a big pink teddy bear and gave it to Kazuko, who accepted it happily without hesitation. They were currently walking around the school grounds, trying to look for another interesting booth/game to try. 'This is my chance', Kazuko thought. 'I can't let the romantic side of me take over.' She looked at the boy for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Ryuuichi-kun? Can I ask you something?"

"Nanda?" he replied, without taking his eyes off the pathway they were walking on.

"Have you ever felt something weird inside you?"

Ryuuichi looked at her with a raised brow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she bit her lip to desperately avoid getting screwed up. "Did you ever experience a weird feeling inside you? Like pain, and torture."

"Oh! Yes I have!" This brought hope to the girl, the chances of finding another victim of the drug was high.

"Hontou?! What is it?!"

"Well, I have this weird feeling in my stomach that it kind of has butterflies fluttering inside it and my heart feels like it has been lifted from a heavy burden… and it all happens whenever I'm with you." He blushed deeply.

Kazuko's inner romantic side pushed her serious side away and took over her body. Her eyes turned into big hearts as she spoke in a squeaky voice. "HONTOU?!"

'Damn it!' said Kazuko's serious side. 'Now what am I gonna do? That boy sure has a way to escape a topic, and now I can't stop myself…'

"Y-yeah," said Ryuuichi, who was taken aback suddenly by the girl's sudden change in appearance and voice, then the hearts that was her eyes turned back to normal which made him sigh in relief. "A-anyway, let's go find a new booth."

'You got lucky this time…' snarled Kazuko's serious side.

 **Tomorrow…**

"How was the first day of Valentines' Week, Conan-kun?" asked Ran as she, Conan, and Sonoko sat on three sides of the dining table.

"It was really great, Ran-neechan!" exclaimed Conan, earning a warm smile from the teenager. 'Hehe, it wasn't great you know…' Conan said sarcastically in his mind. 'Cause after buying those cotton candies for me and Ai, I slipped on a mud puddle! She kept laughing at me as I went home to wash myself! Probably Kazuko-chan had a better day than mine yesterday!'

Sonoko gave a slap to the boy's back, which caught him off guard as he yelled in pain. He rubbed the sore area while giving an annoyed look at his friend. "I knew you had it in you, gaki!" she said. "Keep up the good work, and you along with Ai-chan will win the King and Queen of Hearts!"

"How did you know about those awards, Sonoko-neechan?"

"We have the same awards at the high school! We also have Prince and Princess of Hearts, Most Loving student, Couple of the week, and the Most Caring student!" Conan's eyes widened at what his friend announced.

'Wow, there are special awards?! Maybe the school will also add them. After all, they can't resist the faces of the kids when they don't win…' "Do you think you can win an award, Sonoko-neechan?"

"I-I really don't know…" Conan turned his attention to Ran.

"What about you, Ran-neechan? Do you think you can win?"

"N-no, I don't think I can win an award from those…"

While the three were busy eating their breakfast, Ai noticed that Kazuko was once again muttering to herself on the couch. She treaded silently towards the back of the furniture and tried to listen to whatever words she was saying. "You may fool me with your manly gestures and handsome face, yesterday, Ryuuichi-kun," she whispered, causing Ai to raise an eyebrow as to why would her friend do monologues about Ryuuichi. She could have talked about it with Ai, instead of keeping it to herself. "I'll prove that you're a victim of APTX 4869 no matter what!" The little scientist's eyes widened at what she just heard. Did she hear it right? Did she just hear Kazuko suspect Ryuuichi as a victim of the drug that she created?

"Yamada-san, is something bothering you?" said a voice behind Kazuko, which snapped her out of her trance.

"KYAA!" she turned around in a fit of panic and swung her right arm to whoever that was behind her. Unfortunately, unlike Conan, Ai was able to sidestep and evade her punch. The scientist looked at her panting friend with a blank face. Realizing who was the person behind her, she stood up and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry, Ai-chan. I didn't know it was you."

Ai went beside her on the couch. "Sit down," she said. "I would've done the same thing, anyway. So what is this all about, you accusing Fujimoto-kun is a victim of the drug? And why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

Kazuko took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, okay? The reason I didn't tell you about this is because I figured that this is something I have to do on my own. Since Ryuuichi-kun is my date for the week, I think I have the best chance at finding out the truth about him. And I suspect him as a victim of the drug because take a good look at him! Do you honestly think that a seven-year old can make a spider robot?"

Ai seemed dumbfounded with what Kazuko said. "He can do that?" Kazuko nodded in response. "Did you see him do so?" Her friend nodded once again. "What else makes you think that he's a victim?"

"The first time I talked to him, his voice was unlike a child's voice. It was more composed than the normal childish voice he has, like what Shinichi-kun does when he's with us and Ran-san at the same time. What's more, he comes to school very early, something that normal kids won't do. I think there's a reason behind that, and I'll find out about it." Kazuko finished her last statement with pure determination in her voice, and it impressed the scientist. "Don't tell Shinichi-kun about this, surely he'll bombard Ryuuichi-kun with tons of questions before we even find out the truth."

"Agreed. I now see why you were so happy when he agreed to be your date, you've fallen for him, correct?" Kazuko's face reddened with what she said.

"I… I guess…" she replied, trying to hide her red face with her hands.

"But what will you do when he really isn't a victim of APTX 4869? It would mean that you fell in love with a kid!" Ai finished her sentence with a chuckle, which made Kazuko smile weakly.

"If that's the case, then I must be an idiot…"

 **At school…**

Conan reached the school grounds to find Kazuko and Ai sitting on a bench. He first scanned the area if Ryuuichi was there, but when he saw that the prodigy wasn't present at the moment, he decided to make his presence known. Apparently, he wanted to see if their newfound "friend" is having a crush on his dear girlfriend, Ai Haibara. And if he did, the detective wouldn't mind ruining his day with Kazuko. "It's a bit unusual for you two to be early here, is there something going on?" he asked, which cut the two girls from their conversation.

"Yes, something bad is going on, Conan," said Ai in her usual tone.

"Well, tell me what's the problem!" exclaimed Conan proudly.

"The problem is that you distracted the two of us from our private conversation!" announced Ai sarcastically, causing Conan to sweat-drop while Kazuko chewed her fist to contain her laughter. "Now if you don't mind, just go to the classroom already and let me finish my conversation with Nomura-san!" Conan quickly nodded and headed to their classroom just as Ryuuichi stepped into the scene.

"What's his prob?" the prodigy asked, while keeping a firm grip on the straps of his knapsack. Ai and Kazuko were first surprised by his presence but were able to calm down.

"Don't worry about it, Ryuuichi-kun," said Kazuko, standing up and facing him. "He was just heading to our classroom."

"Are you sure?" The boy glanced over her shoulder to look at Conan, who just entered the doors. "He was looking scared earlier at the both of you."

"It's nothing, we just told him to go already and we'll just catch up."

"Ok, I get it. Anyway, let's go," he said in a cheerful tone, holding Kazuko's hand, which brought a huge blush on her face. "We have so many things to do today!" Ai figured that this was her chance to help Kazuko in figuring out the truth about Fujimoto Ryuuichi, so she came up with the best offer she could possibly give.

"Wait a second, Fujimoto-kun," declared Ai in a blank voice. Ryuuichi turned around to face her in a confused look. "Is it okay with you and Yamada-san to have a double date with me and Conan?" Kazuko's jaw dropped with her red face indicating her embarrassment, as Ryuuichi thought deeply about it. While the boy wasn't looking, Ai snuck a quick wink to Kazuko, who understood what she was trying to do.

After a few seconds, Ryuuichi looked back at Ai. "All right, as long as Edogawa-kun is fine with it." The scientist sighed in relief while Kazuko's face reddened even more, knowing that Conan would tease her non-stop about Ryuuichi.

 **One hour later…**

The four were currently walking down the school's left hall after buying themselves a cup of fried noodles each. Before going on with the double date, Conan didn't trust Ryuuichi at first because of his suspicions, but he eventually went along with it after noticing that the prodigy was holding Kazuko's hand the entire time. But he still didn't let his guard down, because he was literally showing off that he is Ai's girlfriend; including draping his arm over her shoulder, ruffling her locks, and kissing her hand, much to the three's confusion. When Ai had enough, she punched him on the back of his head, saying that she'll kill him if he does anything flirty to her again. Conan rubbed the sore part of his head where Ai punched him, just as he noticed a sign in front of a classroom. Before the three could keep walking, his voice stopped them.

"Guys, wait!" he called, which caught the three's attention. "Check this sign out!" The three went to him and looked at the sign.

 _Can you outsmart your date?_

 _Or will you work together as one?_

 _Come in and enjoy!_

 _The Mystery of Love is open!_

"This sounds good, let's go in!" Before Conan could take a step further, Ai grabbed onto his shirt, preventing him from doing so. "Come on, it'll be fun!" he pleaded. Ai and Kazuko both had no problem with his choice, but their gaze fell to Ryuuichi just to be sure. He just shrugged his shoulders, bringing a grin on Conan's face as a teacher inside the room came out.

She looked at the four students in front of her and gave a warm smile. "Welcome to the Mystery of Love game!" she announced. "Are you all going to play?" The children nodded and the woman clapped her hands together. "Great! Who wants to go first with their date? The other couple will have their turn after the first!" Due to her need of Ai's aid, Kazuko raised her hand in an attempt to let them all in at the same time. "Yes, little girl?" the teacher asked, noticing Kazuko's right arm. "You want to go first?"

The girl lowered her arm and rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Um, how do we play this game?"

"Oh, I was going to explain the mechanics inside the room, but since you asked, I'll tell you all right now. You can play this game in two ways. One, you can work with your date and two, you can race each other. There is only one goal, and that is to find something in the room that represents everlasting love. If you choose to race each other, the other one will enter inside through the door over there," she pointed to the door on the other side of the room. "The room is divided into two, and one completely mirrors the other. But, if you choose to work together, you'll just occupy one room. Did you get all that?" All but Kazuko nodded.

"Would it be possible for two couples to play together?" she asked, making the teacher raise an eyebrow in confusion. "I mean, I could team up with Ai-chan here and Conan-kun can work together with Ryuuichi-kun then we could race the other!" The teacher thought about it deeply, with Conan shaking his head, as if he was pleading to her not to go with Kazuko's idea, then a smile spread across the woman's face.

"It's kind of weird, but I like what you're thinking, little girl!" Conan literally hit his head on the wall in front of him, much to Ai's amusement. "You two boys enter the room through the other door, and then you can start your search." Conan had no choice but to nod and then he entered the room with Ryuuichi. The teacher gestured for the two girls to come inside as they started a little conversation.

"We need to find the thing that represents love real quick and then we could spy on Ryuuichi-kun on the other side," whispered Kazuko and Ai quickly nodded. They went inside and they saw that the room was really divided into two with a wall made of wood. Overall, it looked like it was just a regular classroom.

"If you find something, one of you come outside and show me what you have found," the teacher explained. "I will check if you got the correct item or not. If you got it right, you receive a prize! Good luck!" The woman went outside which prompted Kazuko and Ai to split up ways immediately and begin searching.

After the teacher explained the same thing to Conan and Ryuuichi on the other side, the detective went to the prodigy. "Do you have Kazuko-chan's number?" he asked.

"Yeah, she gave me her number yesterday, why?" replied Ryuuichi.

"Call her and distract her in any way you can. If she can't search, Ai would have a hard time without someone to help her. I'll find the representation of love for us." Conan was about to turn around when Ryuuichi's hand was on his shoulder.

"Can't you call Haibara-san instead? I'm pretty sure it's better to have her distracted than Yamada-san since she's so intelligent."

Conan chuckled. "No, she doesn't have a phone. Even if she did, she won't give me her phone number." Conan brushed off Ryuuichi's hand off his shoulder and started to observe the room.

Ryuuichi raised an eyebrow at him. "And why won't she give you your number? You're her boyfriend, correct?"

"Reasons. Now stop asking and go distract Kazuko-chan…"

Ryuuichi pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed Kazuko's phone. He was very lucky that Kazuko was just on the other side of the room, and he could easily call her. When Kazuko felt that her phone vibrated, she checked it and saw that someone was calling. Now she was such a big idiot for not getting Ryuuichi's number since he got hers. Because of that, she didn't have a clue on who was calling. She made a gesture to Ai that she was going to answer the call, and her friend nodded in response. Kazuko went near the door and answered the call. "Hello? Who is this?" she asked.

"Hello?" replied Ryuuichi in a low voice, completely different from his usual self. It's like he had a voice-changing bowtie of his own. "Ms. Yamada? I'm calling from the police station. Are you from Osaka?"

"Y-yes, sir…"

"Mmmm… Your life is in danger."

The statement caused Kazuko's eyes to shoot open in a mixture of fear and shock. She unconsciously thought that the Organization found her. "W-what?! H-how?!"

Ryuuichi snuck a glance at Conan, who was still searching. He silently hoped that his friend would be done soon, as he was running out of ideas to say. "You better listen carefully, or else you'll die as soon as you step out of the gate."

Kazuko started to sweat, she was getting desperate to avoid getting killed. "O-okay, sir. I'll listen!"

Ryuuichi snuck another glance at Conan, who was cheering silently as he found the item they were looking for. He silently thanked his friend, since he had no idea what to say to Kazuko. He hoped that Conan had a trick up his sleeve that will continue to distract Kazuko. "Hold a moment, the chief will speak to you directly."

"W-wait!"

Ryuuichi rushed to Conan, who turned around as soon as he heard footsteps. Ryuuichi gestured that Conan should continue the call, and he was lucky that the detective immediately took the phone from him. Conan pulled out his bowtie from his pocket and adjusted the dials a little bit, so he'd sound like a grown up man. Ryuuichi raised an eyebrow and wondered what was he doing. Conan put the phone on his left ear and held the bowtie with his right hand. "Aah, yes. Where was I?" he asked.

"Chief!" replied Kazuko in relief, while sneaking a glance at Ai, who still hasn't found the item they were looking for. "Your fellow officer told me that I may die outside the school!"

Conan thought over it quickly. "Oh, yes. Listen carefully. As soon as you step out of the gate, just walk back home until you see a traffic signal." Ryuuichi listened as well, he was interested in what Conan had come up in his mind.

"Traffic signal? O-okay!"

"Then when you see it turns red, all the cars will stop."

"O-okay, then what?"

"Then cross the road with great caution…" There was silence for a few seconds before Conan spoke again. "Because little girl, in rush hour, if a car hits you, you're dead." Ryuuichi chewed his fist in order to contain his laughter, with Conan shushing him. While at the other room, Kazuko had a massive sweat drop at what her caller just said.

"WHAT THE HECK?! WHAT NONSENSE! OF COURSE I KNOW THAT!" she roared into the phone with a chibi look that made Ai shrink from her voice.

"Oh, you know that? Then congratulations, you're safe, little girl." Ryuuichi couldn't stop himself from laughing at his friend's distraction, and as Conan ended the call, he laughed so hard as well at what just happened. It was a good thing that the wall prevented any noise from either room, otherwise Kazuko would've found out and the two boys would suffer her wrath right now. Literally, she had a rage aura on herself right now and Ai stopped searching for a while because of fear. It took a full minute for her to eventually calm down and during that time, Ai managed to figure out what was the item. It was a book that's entitled, "Trust, Care, and Understand". Ai grabbed Kazuko's hand and ran out of the room with hopes that they could still be able to spy on Ryuuichi even for a little bit. But their jaws dropped when they saw who was outside as well.

The teacher was giving two pieces of paper to Conan and Ryuuichi. They realized that they just have a tab to one free lunch at the canteen as a prize. Both girls groaned in annoyance, especially Kazuko, who still hasn't recovered from the seemingly prank call from the police. Conan and Ryuuichi grinned embarrassingly before the group continued on walking.

 **Friday…**

Today is the day that Valentines' Week comes to the end. It was a fun week all in all for Conan, Ai, Kazuko, and Ryuuichi. They went on double dates at some points, but they were private most of the time. Conan and Ai tried molding clay together in a booth, which ended in him giving her a flower and she gave him a huge ball. Kazuko and Ryuuichi tried cooking together, which ended in the both of them creating a ramen that could end the life of anyone because of its aroma and taste. Not to mention Kaito protecting Akako from various dates at Ekoda High School. Today is the day that the awards will be given. Conan was currently sitting beside Ai and she was beside Kazuko who was beside Ryuuichi. The closing program was about to start just as Kazuko whispered something to Ai. "After this, I think we should tell Shinichi-kun about Ryuuichi-kun. He deserves to know and I think he could help us." Ai couldn't help but nod, she knew it would be the right thing to do.

After the opening remarks by Takada-sensei, a small intermission number was done by the teachers and then the awarding was next. The moment everyone was waiting for. Takada-sensei walked back up to the stage with a microphone, accompanied by Kobayashi-sensei and another girl teacher. Kobayashi-sensei was holding 4 ribbons and the other teacher had 4 certificates in her hand. "We will be announcing the winners of the Special Awards first!" announced Takada-sensei. "There are 3 special awards! The Most Loving student award, Most Caring student award, and the Sweetest Couple award! All of the kids that will be announced will walk up to the stage and receive their awards!" There was silence across the auditorium as another male teacher brought an envelope to Takada-sensei. He opened it and cleared his throat. "The Most Caring student award goes to…"

"YAMADA KAZUKO OF GRADE 1-B!" Clapping hands were heard around the auditorium as Kazuko smiled widely. She went up to the stage, with Kobayashi-sensei handing over her ribbon and certificate. She stood there for a moment, with a photographer taking a picture of her. She went back to her seat, receiving praise and many "congratulations" from the students along her way. Ai and Conan smiled warmly at her friend while Ryuuichi winked at her, causing her to blush a bit.

When the applause began to die, Takada-sensei began to speak again. "Next, the Most Loving student award is presented to…" Ai unconsciously grabbed Conan's hand.

"EDOGAWA CONAN OF GRADE 1-B!" The same applause that greeted Kazuko went to him as well. Like what his friend did, he walked up to the stage, and received his certificate and ribbon. The boy flashed his signature smirk in front of the camera just as some girls were squealing over him. He went back to his seat receiving a punch to the arm as a sign of "congratulations" from his girlfriend. Ryuuichi initiated a fist bump, which the detective gladly accepted. Apparently, the two had been growing close to each other throughout the whole week, and Conan trusted him more now. The place became quiet after Takada-sensei cleared his throat again.

"There are two winners for this one. The Sweetest Couple award goes to…"

"TSUBARAYA MITSUHIKO AND YOSHIDA AYUMI!" The two children that had their name announced were surprised. They were thinking that a couple like Conan and Ai would win the award, but nonetheless, a big smile appeared on both of their faces as Ayumi held Mitsuhiko's hand, running all the way to the stage. Kobayashi-sensei pinned the ribbons on their shirts and the two of them took a picture together. They went back to their seats while receiving praise from their friends.

"Now that the special awards are done, we can proceed to the main event! Now, mina, the next two people that will be announced are the winners. Want to know why?"

"WHY?" asked everyone in unison.

"Because a couple has won the awards, King of Hearts and Queen of Hearts!" Everyone's eyes widened with what they were hearing. "The same goes for the Prince of Hearts and Princess of Hearts awards!" Applause filled the room once more and not even the Detective Boys could believe what they were hearing. "Now I said during the opening program that a big prize would be given if a couple win together, correct?" Every child inside the place nodded. "The four people whose name will be announced will be exempted from the exams for the rest of the school year!" Nearly everyone's jaw dropped. Now, everyone wanted to win. "Since the King and Queen are higher authority than the Prince and Princess, the first two names I'll say are the winners of those awards! Then the Prince and Princess of Hearts will be announced next!" It was now so loud in the auditorium that Takada-sensei had to clear his throat loudly in front of the microphone to make everyone quiet.

"The winners of the King of Hearts and Queen of Hearts awards are…" Tension built up inside the room, with some hearts skipping a beat.

"FUJIMOTO RYUUICHI AND YAMADA KAZUKO!" The couple's eyes shot open as the room filled with applause once more, they looked at each other in both shock and happiness. They never expected that they would win, they were thinking that some other couple would win instead.

"And lastly, the winners of the Prince of Hearts and Princess of Hearts awards are… EDOGAWA CONAN AND HAIBARA AI!" the cheers and applauses just got louder as Conan and Ai smiled widely at each other upon hearing their names, and then the four headed up the stage. Kobayashi-sensei put crowns on their heads, signifying their win. They also received sashes that indicated what award they won. All of this brought tears to Kazuko's eyes, as she cried tears of joy. When she wiped her tears up, the photographer took a picture of them altogether.

Even after the program ended, the four still received loud praises from the students of the school. They went outside just as Ryuuichi excused himself because he wanted to go to the bathroom. Kazuko and Ai figured that this is the perfect opportunity to tell Conan their suspicions. "Shinichi-kun, there's something you need to know," said Kazuko.

"What is it?" he replied.

"It's about Ryuuichi-kun." Conan raised an eyebrow. "I think might be a victim of the drug." This made Conan's eyes shoot open with shock.

"What?! How could you say that?"

"I noticed that his intelligence in technology is so high, that even a child prodigy can't match him. What's more, his voice is like yours when you're with us and not around Ran-san. Then he changes his tone when there are other people around!"

Conan rested his head on his chin. He looked at Ai. "Do you know about this?" His girlfriend nodded as he thought deeply about it. "Good points, Kazuko-chan. But we need more evidence to prove that he really is another victim. Don't worry, I'll help you two." Kazuko and Ai nodded.

"You're right about what you think…" said a low, composed voice from behind Conan, which startled the three friends. Looking behind him, Conan noticed the blank face of Ryuuichi staring at them.

"W-what? W-we were just talking –" Conan tried to hide their conversation, but the "prodigy" stopped him midway.

Ryuuichi sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Drop the act, already. I know about you three. The truth about you three. We suffered the same fate. I shrunk to a kid's size as well." The three's eyes widened. Kazuko was right about her suspicions. Ryuuichi was just like them. "I shrunk because a man in a black coat was selling chocolates to me four months ago." The three lent their ears, eager to learn the truth. "Because of my addiction to chocolate, I bought two bars without hesitation and ate them instantly. At the same night, my mother witnessed how I shrunk into this body. Since then, I've been watching out for possible victims like me."

Before Ai could ask a question, Conan's voice was faster. "Before we get to more of your story, I'm gonna ask you something. Even if you're a victim like us, you realize you're still our friend, right?" Ryuuichi nodded. "Our other friends have some sort of club with us also in it too. We call ourselves the Detective Boys." Ryuuichi raised an eyebrow. "If you're gonna be close with us, no doubt our other friends will be inviting you to join the club. So I'm asking you right now, are you going to join us?"

Ryuuichi shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not interested in solving cases…"

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

" _ **They must have put a pill inside the chocolate."**_

" _ **Why did you prevent me from dating any guy during Valentines' Week?"**_

" _ **Hey, Kudo! Is Kazuha with you?!"**_

" _ **Don't you ever lay a finger on her again!"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 25: HATTORI HEIJI TO THE RESCUE**_


	25. Hattori Heiji to the Rescue

_**I'm back! School stuff has been really bugging my time in writing this fanfic! Especially our speech choir practices! But, I'll try my best so I could complete this story… Heck, it's not yet half a year since I started writing on this story and we're now halfway through! Also, I've started making plans on what fanfic I'm going to write next after this. There's a 70% chance that I'll be leaving Detective Conan for a while and move to Fairy Tail for a fanfic about NaLu or a NatsuxHarem. However, the 30% indicates that I'll be continuing this story with a sequel or a new fanfic. I hope in whatever I do, you'll support me guys! I've seen the views on both Valentines' Week chapters and they've proven that they're the highest-grossing chapters yet... With 200+ views! Of course, Feelings has 300 views, but it's because it's the first chapter. Did you really like Valentines' Week? If you did, thank you so much! I apologize if it's not pure romance since it involves the mystery involving Ryuuichi, but it's part of this big fanfic. By the way, did you see the big distraction by Ryuuichi and Conan to Kazuko last chapter? I almost died when I wrote and read it! It's so damn funny! I hope you guys get the reference cause I got it from one of the greatest comedy films I have ever watched. Also, the chapter after this is the first battle against the Black Organization… It'll be hard to write it, and I can't copy the battle scenes that I did in Downfall of the Dragons, Part 2… It'll ruin everything! As a writer, I won't be able to forgive myself if I copy a part of a chapter onto another chapter unless if it's a flashback. If you can and if you would, PM me some battle scene ideas that you have so it'll be easier to write the two-part battle. The only thing I'm disappointed in is the reviews... The last time my fanfic was reviewed by my good friend, Froodle Soup. But it's been a long time since a guest or someone else gave a review. Okay, there's a new review but I know we could do better! But it's still your decision, guys! If you WANT, leave a review. And I think that's it! See you all later! Love you guys!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I have sealed all the worlds yet I still don't own DC *cough Kingdom Hearts cough***_

* * *

Conan, Ai, and Kazuko looked down on the ground with a disappointing look. They didn't expect that he would turn down the offer, they were hoping that the prodigy would happily accept it. Ryuuichi then chuckled rather loud, much to the three's confusion. "Hey, don't feel too down, all right?" he said. "I said I'm not interested in solving mystery cases, right? But I didn't say anything about not joining you!" The three then smiled in relief as Conan spoke up again.

"Then welcome to the family, Ryuuichi. Now it's to time for answers." He put on his questioning look and smirked. "We want to know the full details about how you were shrunk. Don't sum it up like what you said earlier."

Ryuuichi scanned the environment around them. Seeing that there are only a few people at the school grounds mainly because they are still likely partying at the auditorium, he spoke in a low volume. "Meet me behind the school in ten minutes, I can't risk telling the truth here." Ai, Kazuko, and Conan gave an understanding nod and Ryuuichi walked away to the canteen to surely buy food. The three were left sitting on a bench talking to each other. Ai and Kazuko noticed that Conan had a disappointing look on his face, which they didn't want to see, so they wanted to resolve his problem quickly.

"What's with the long face, Conan?" asked Ai. "You look like a baby taken away from his candy."

"Sorry, it's just that we weren't awarded with the King and Queen of Hearts awards," replied Conan. "I've given everything I could just so we could win, but I never thought that Kazuko-chan and Ryuuichi would win."

Ai smacked his shoulder, which caught the boy off guard as she chuckled. "Stop overreacting about such a small thing. They deserved it anyway." Hearing this made Kazuko blush bright red. "Also, we won as well so stop overreacting, you dense detective!"

A small smile appeared on Conan's face upon Ai's comforting words. He poked her forehead, which also caught her off guard, as he stood up from the bench. He rested his chin on his hand as he put on a serious face. "Do you two think that Ryuuichi can be trusted?" he asked both of them.

"What kind of a question is that, Conan-kun?!" Kazuko shrieked, causing the boy to shrink from her angry gaze. "Of course he can be trusted! What were you thinking?!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I was just taking safety measures, nothing personal!"

"Okay, then continue!" Kazuko stated in a cheerful voice, causing Ai and Conan to sweat-drop because of her 180.

"As I was saying, if you think Ryuuichi can be trusted, I'll place my trust in him as well. After all, the more victims we can find, the more we can help. I have a feeling that the organization is making its move, so we gotta act fast. If he truly is a victim of the drug, we can use his skill in technology to our advantage. Do you two agree?" Both Ai and Kazuko nodded. "Then it's settled! Let's just wait for him to come back, and hopefully he does…"

A few more minutes later, Ryuuichi came back holding an empty milk carton in his hand. When he saw his three newfound friends staring at him with a confused expression, he realized what they were thinking. "What? Is it wrong for a teenager to drink milk?" he said.

"No, nothing's wrong, Ryuuichi-kun!" stated Kazuko. "We just didn't expect that you would drink milk."

"Whatever. Come on, follow me behind the school while we're still allowed inside the premises." The three stood up from the bench and followed behind Ryuuichi. When they reached the area behind the school, the prodigy first did a quick scan of the area and when he was sure that there were no people around, he invited the three to sit with him on a nearby bench. He first cleared his throat before speaking again. "You three want to know about how I shrunk into this form, right?" The three nodded. "Then lend me your ears for a while, cause this is a long story…"

 **Flashback**

 _A raven-haired teen was walking home with his mother all the way from school. He has just finished the school's robotics contest winning the 1_ _st_ _place spot and his mother was crying tears of joy as she couldn't stop herself from hugging him. Ryuuichi, on the other hand, was annoyed by his mother's actions because this was always how she acted whenever he wins a competition. This was his 4_ _th_ _win this school year and he was pretty much used to winning contests since elementary though he didn't brag about it because it would ruin his cool. "I'm so proud of you, Ryuuichi!" his mother exclaimed. "Your father would also be so proud!"_

" _Yeah, yeah, kaa-san…" replied the teen in an annoyed voice. "Could you stop praising just for once? In every contest I've joined in and won, you always treat me like I'm some sort of hero… it's getting really out of hand sometimes… you could just congratulate me simply, I can also be happy with just that!"_

 _The woman playfully gave him a slap on the shoulder while laughing. "Cheer up, son! Tell you what, if you let me treat you like a little boy for five more minutes we'll eat dinner at Teriyaki Boy!"_

 _The teen sighed and nodded. "Fine, but I hope that this'll be the last time you act like this on me…" Even though he said this every time his mother would act like this, he knew she still won't change and he can't do anything about it, so he just let it be._

 _After a few more minutes and his mother stopped bugging him, they headed for the nearest Teriyaki Boy branch, which was 2 blocks away. Having ate nothing since lunch, the teen felt so hungry that he could eat anything right now. He gave in to his hunger and stopped walking which confused his mother. "Is there something wrong, Ryuuichi?"_

 _The teen clutched his abdomen and groaned. "Kaa-san, can I borrow some money? I'm gonna try to search for a store or whatever. I just need something to fill me up, I'm so hungry right now." Without hesitation, his mother pulled out her wallet and took out 200¥._

" _Here, 200 yen," she handed the money to her son. "Just be quick, okay? And make sure to find me once you reach the restaurant." Ryuuichi nodded then his mother gave him a quick kiss on the forehead and she was about to walk away when her son's voice stopped him._

" _Wait, Kaa-san," he said which made his mother turn around. He took off his ID that was hanging on his neck. "Could you take my ID with you? I'm going to run my way to the nearest store or stand I can find and this ID of mine will just be in the way." His mother took his ID and he waved his hand goodbye before going off in the opposite direction._

 **End of Flashback**

Ryuuichi was cut off from his story-telling by none other than his three friends who kept on asking questions. "Wait, you're real name is also Ryuuichi?!" asked Conan.

"What's your mother's name?!" asked Kazuko.

"Wait, when exactly did you shrink into a child?!" asked Ai.

A vein popped on Ryuuichi's head as he lost his temper. "YOU GUYS! LET ME FINISH MY STORY FIRST BEFORE YOU GO ASKING QUESTIONS!" he yelled, which caused the three to shrink into chibis.

"H-hai…" the three answered in unison.

The prodigy took a deep breath before speaking again. "Now, my mother's name is Leila, okay?" The three nodded. "Now, I'm going to continue my story, and when I do, I don't want to hear any more questions, all right? Cause if I hear even a single question, I won't tell my backstory anymore, got it?" The three friends nodded instantly. "Good. As I was saying…"

 **Flashback**

 _After two minutes of running, Ryuuichi sat on a nearby bench that he saw to catch his breath. He scanned the area around him for stores but there was none. He panted heavily and closed his eyes as he wiped the sweat of his face. When he opened them again, a man in a black coat and hat was standing in front of him. The teen could only see his eyes and he could tell that he had the looks of a murderer but before he could even scream for help, the man was reaching for his hat. Ryuuichi was getting ready to kick his gut once he takes off his hat, but when the accessory came off, the teen was greeted by a man's warm smile. Ryuuichi raised an eyebrow upon seeing a young man wearing a black coat, bearing a huge smile. "Hello, boy! Why are you feeling so down?" the man asked._

 _Ryuuichi coughed to maintain his cool. "Just resting… I was running all the way here so I could find something to eat, I'm starving." Before the teen could stand up and leave the mysterious man, he watched as the guy brought out two rectangular-shaped figures from in his coat. Ryuuichi's eyes widened when he saw two delicious chocolate bars in the man's right hand._

" _You could have two of my chocolates here," the man said as he showed Ryuuichi the chocolates. "My partner and I sell chocolates at a nearby store, if you want, I can give you two. My friend is still on his way, I just want to head there early."_

' _Shit!' screamed Ryuuichi in his thoughts. 'This may be a scam if he's giving it for free! I better calm down if I want to avoid anything bad.' "How much do I pay you?" he asked while raising an eyebrow._

" _The original price is 62 yen for one bar, but you seem like you need and want it, so I'll give you two for 86!"_

 _The teen's hungry side fully took over as his inner self screamed in joy as he would get his favorite junk food. His worries completely disappeared and pulled out 100 yen from his wallet. He gave the money and accepted the bars. "Thank you for buying our chocolate, until next time!" the man exclaimed as he walked away._

 _Ryuuichi started unwrapping one bar as he took the pathway back. He started eating and he was able to finish both chocolate bars just as he reached Teriyaki Boy. He saw his mother inside eating Miso Ramen and she had a bowl of Katsudon on the opposite side of the table. He went to the table and sat down, with Leila noticing a brown smudge on her son's lips. "Ryuuichi, you got something on your upper lip," said Leila. The teen took a tissue near his food and wiped his mouth. The first thing he ate/drank was water, which confused his mother because she was expecting him to buy something to drink as well. "Son, what did you buy when you were outside?"_

" _Oh, two chocolate bars for 86." He took out the remaining change and gave it to his mother. "Here's the change, I was lucky that the guy selling them made a bargain with me! At first, I thought he was mysterious, but it turns out he's a nice guy." They ate for half an hour and Leila paid the bill afterwards as they headed home._

 _Along the way, Ryuuichi clutched his stomach and sank to his knees. His mother noticed this and immediately went to him. "Are you okay, son?" she asked. "Have you eaten too much today?"_

" _I'm fine, kaa-san," he answered. "Maybe it's just a normal stomachache… I'll be fine."_

" _Are you sure? Don't you want to drop by the clinic for a quick check-up?"_

" _Don't worry about it too much, kaa-san… I'm fine, really." She nodded and stood up as well as him and continued on their way. However, Ryuuichi still continued on clutching his stomach. Perhaps he was lying earlier to his mother, because the pain he was feeling right now was unbearable. He managed to stop himself from screaming both times and he felt like his insides were burning. He silently wished that they would get home as quick as possible, he felt like he needed a safe place where he could scream out all the pain._

 _When they finally reached their home, as soon as his mother unlocked the front door, the teen ran inside and went up the stairs, nearly knocking Leila off balance. She wondered what was going on with him and decided to check up on him after turning all the lights on._

 _Ryuuichi went inside his bedroom and slammed the door shut. He collapsed on his bed still clutching his abdomen and the pain was now out-of-this-world. 'WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING WITH ME?!' he mentally screamed. 'MY BODY IS SUDDENLY BURNING UP, I CAN'T… HOLD IT…' At last, he couldn't bear it no more. "AAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!" his scream was so loud that it reverberated around every corner of the house that even his mother was taken aback. She was currently sitting on the couch until the moment her son screamed so she decided to go to him. By the time, she opened the door to his bedroom, she saw her son hidden underneath a bloated blanket using a pillow to muffle his screams of pain. Before she could do anything, she suddenly watched as the blanket started becoming smaller, with no lumps visible. When the blanket stopped shrinking, she took it off to reveal her son shrunken to the size of a child. His pants and uniform were too big and his face looked flushed as he was unconscious. Leila was first shocked at what just happened… how did Ryuuichi shrink to a child's form? But his condition is what mattered first. She took off his large clothes and put him on some of the clothes he used as a kid. She carried him to the couch in the living room and waited for him to wake up._

 **End of Flashback**

"And that is how I turned into this," Ryuuichi finished, as he looked at his three friends who had the same shocked expression painted on each of their faces. "Kaa-san is the only one who knows about me shrinking, but now, it seems you know who I am."

"What's your real name?" asked Ai.

"Still Ryuuichi, why?" Ai's eyes widened.

"Why do you still use your real name?! The organization could find you! They could be anywhere!"

"Oh, is it about that? Well, don't worry, they don't know who I am. If you remember my story, I left my ID with kaa-san when I left to buy food, so the _organization_ doesn't know who I am," he spoke, adding emphasis to the 'organization'.

"They must have put a pill inside the chocolate," whispered Conan to Ai, in which she nodded. "The pill could have contained the drug and for that, Ryuuichi shrunk."

"I already told you all my story, now I want answers. You three seem to know more about this than me, so I want you to tell me what the hell happened to me. Was there something in the chocolate that I ate? Or was there something in the Katsudon? Or perhaps I unknowingly did something that made me turn into this?" The three looked at each other for a moment, before Conan finally spoke.

"You should follow Ai and Kazuko-chan back to their house," said Conan. "They'll be able to explain to you what really happened and what are the current issues going on with the men in black that shrunk you. I'm heading home, there's something I need to take care of. Nice meeting you, Ryuuichi." The three nodded and Conan waved his hand in farewell.

 **Later…**

Conan lied down on his bed, thinking deeply about today's events. 'If what Ryuuichi says is true, who could be the member that shrunk him?' he thought. 'It's impossible to find a guy like that in the organization, he must have been using a disguise! Let's see… so far, Vermouth is the only member I have seen with skills like that, but she could also do it on another member. It could also be Gin, Vodka, Tequila, or even –' his thoughts were cut off when someone knocked on the bedroom door.

"Conan-kun, there's a phone call for you," said a voice that could only belong to Ran. "It's Hattori-kun, and it seemed urgent." Conan jumped off the bed and opened the door.

"Arigato, Ran-neechan," said the boy as he went out the bedroom. The telephone was ringing so he picked it up. "Moshi-moshi?"

"Hey, Kudo!" said Heiji through the phone. "Is Kazuha there with you?!"

Conan was taken aback by Heiji's sudden outburst. "Taku, you sound like a patient from a mental hospital; and no, Kazuha-chan's not here."

Conan could have sworn that he heard his best friend gasp. "Kudo, this is bad. Kazuha told me she'll be leaving Osaka early before me to visit you after lunch, and now she's still not there yet!"

"Nani?! Have you tried calling her phone?!"

"She's not answering. I'm starting to think that a member of the DS or BO got her to threaten us again! I swear I'll kill anyone who dares to harm her!"

The boy felt concern for his friend. "Calm down, Hattori. Where are you, anyway? We'll find her together! I'll try to call Kaito as well, I'll see if he can help!"

"I'm nearly at the station! And that's a good idea, get Kuroba to help! If it really is a BO or DS member who has Kazuha, this is our chance to interrogate them! I'll meet you at the station, Kudo!" Heiji then ended the call. Conan quickly dialed Kaito's number.

 **One hour earlier, Ekoda High School:**

The awarding ceremony of Valentines' Week has just ended in Ekoda High School. Kaito Kuroba felt happiness for himself and his childhood friend, Aoko Nakamori after winning the King and Queen of Hearts. He also felt happy for his rival, Saguru after winning Prince of Hearts. He was currently shaking hands with him out of respect. "Was a close fight, Hakuba," stated Kaito. "Congratulations."

"Likewise, Kuroba," replied Saguru. "You and Aoko deserved it. I saw how you two lovebirds got through the week. It surprises me that you two aren't going out yet."

Kaito shrugged his shoulders while blushing. "I don't know. I mean, I do like Aoko… but I'm not gonna force her into liking me back. I'd rather wait for her answer. By the way, have you seen her? I haven't seen her since winning the awards earlier."

"I think I saw her talking with Akako a few minutes ago. Maybe if you hurry, you can catch her."

'Perfect timing,' Kaito thought. 'I need to talk to Akako as well.' "Arigato, Hakuba." Kaito raised his fist and Saguru accepted the fist bump. Afterwards, Kaito walked away.

'I guess I made the right decision in reconciling with him,' Saguru thought as he walked in the opposite direction.

The former magician saw Aoko at the cafeteria, eating a sandwich, but there was no sign of Akako. He went to her and when she noticed him, she got off her seat and hugged him tight, earning a blush from the detective. "I'm so proud of you, baka!" said Aoko. "Because of you, we won King and Queen of Hearts!" Kaito returned the hug and it was half a minute before she finally pulled away. "So what brings you here? Came to eat?"

Kaito rubbed the back of his head. "Well, actually, I was wondering if you could tell me where I might be able to find Akako."

Aoko raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know where Akako-chan is?"

"I just want to ask her a few questions, that's all." Kaito raised his hands as if he was a criminal.

Aoko kept on raising an eyebrow. "Fine, I left her sitting on a bench behind the school."

"Thanks, Aoko." Kaito then left her so he could go behind the school. The former magician saw Akako with her phone, sitting on a bench. When she noticed him walking towards her, she kept a calm voice and asked, "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be celebrating your victory with Aoko-san?"

"Already did," he replied. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Why do you care? I'm obviously using my phone."

"There's something I want to ask you, Akako."

The girl chuckled. "That's funny, cause I want to ask you something as well." She stood up and walked towards him, causing the former magician to blush because of how close she was to him. "Why did you prevent me from dating any guy during Valentines' Week?"

This caused Kaito to blush wildly. "Uh… um… well, you see I um…" Akako raised an eyebrow on his unfinished sentence and tried to finish it for him.

"Is it because you –" Before she could say anything more, Kaito's heightened voice stopped her.

"You know what? I just remembered that okaa-san wants me to go home early, so I'll see you later!" he stated in a very fast voice which afterwards, he ran away leaving a very confused Akako Koizumi standing there deep in thought.

'What's his problem?' she thought. 'I was just going to ask if he thinks that the guys who tried asking me out are perverts.' She just shrugged her shoulders and headed back to the bench where she was sitting at.

When Kaito got away from the school, he decided to go home since he had nothing left to do there. When he passed by the park, he noticed that nobody was around. As he stared at the beautiful sunset, he couldn't stop himself from letting out his emotions. "How long are you going to make me wait, Aoko?!" he screamed. "I thought you were going to tell me how you feel once I come back from the battle with the Dragon Syndicate?! I'm starting to have feelings for Akako, and I can't deny it!" He sat at a nearby bench took out his phone. He looked at a picture of Akako which made him smile weakly.

"I like her, Aoko. She's pretty, understanding, and I think she had a change of heart two months ago. She may be sarcastic, but she has a good heart inside. I also think it's obvious that she feels something for me as well, but I can't be with her if I don't confirm it with you, Aoko! Yet I don't want to date you if you don't like me back!" He stood up from the bench.

"One more month, Aoko! You have one more month to tell me how you feel, otherwise I'm asking Akako out! I'm sorry if you get hurt when I do that, but Akako needs someone in her life!" he said, laying down the ultimatum for his first love.

He started walking back home just as his cellphone vibrated in his pocket. When he saw who was calling, he immediately answered it.

 **Present time, Mouri Detective Agency:**

"Moshi-moshi?" asked the receiver.

"Kaito! Hattori needs our help!" said Conan.

"Why? What happened?!"

"He said Kazuha-chan is missing! She left Osaka early to visit us, but until now, she still isn't here! Hattori suspects the Organization or rogue members might be behind this!"

"All right, I get it! Let me just drop by the mansion so I could grab some money and I'll head there! I'll have my butler deliver me clothes, I have a feeling I'm going to stay there for more than a day."

"Okay, just be quick!" Conan ended the call and quickly dialed Heiji's number. "Hattori!" said Conan. "Kaito's on the way! Where are you right now?!"

"I'm near the station. I'll meet you at the park! Bring along occhan and a few officers so they could help searching for Kazuha! I won't let anything bad come to her!"

"See you!" Conan ended the call and went towards Kogoro's desk, where he was watching another concert of Okino Yoko.

 **Tokyo Station:**

Heiji had to shove a few people out of his way just so he could get out of the train. He first did a quick scan of the surroundings just in case that Kazuha was nearby. When he noticed that she wasn't there at the station, he waited for a taxi at the taxi stand.

After a few minutes, a taxi stopped by and he went in. "Take me to the park," he said, and the driver nodded. Heiji couldn't stop himself from looking left and right erratically and he couldn't blame himself, Kazuha was missing, for God's sake! But, just as the taxi was nearing the park, he saw a black car and a man donning a black coat was leaning against it. "Wait, stop here!" he told the driver and the taxi stopped in front of a convenience not far from the black car. Heiji brought out his wallet and paid the driver as he got out of the vehicle. He glared at the man and started to sneak from alley to alley to get closer to the black car. When he saw the man bringing out his phone to answer a call, Heiji went to the opposite side of the car and focused on listening to the call.

"Which of their friends did you get?" asked the receiver of the call.

"I have retrieved the girl who is always with Hattori Heiji, she's sleeping at the back seat," the Osakan detective's eyes shot open with what he was hearing. He instantly started a text message so he could send to Conan the details about this unknown man.

"Then I'll see you at the factory in Haido, Rum has been pretty impatient lately, and surely you don't want to see him pissed off."

Heiji was taken aback. 'Kuso!' he thought. 'He's already leaving?! I need to follow this dude, but I can't leave without informing Kudo on where he will be.' An idea then struck his head. He started typing on his phone. 'I hope you figure this code out, Kudo! I'm counting on you and Kuroba!' He pressed send and when he saw the man finishing his call, he sneaked inside the trunk of the car and left it slightly open so he could breath. When he felt the car bounce a bit due to the man getting in, the detective smirked. 'Don't worry, Kazuha. Everything will be all right.'

 **Meanwhile…**

Conan and Kogoro were at the station discussing the details of Kazuha's disappearance with Megure-keibu and Takagi-keiji. While Mouri was talking with the two officers, Conan received a message from his best friend. When he looked at the message, his eyes widened with what he saw.

 _Black : Manufacture : Haido_

'Arigato, Hattori,' Conan said in his thoughts. 'This is enough for me to find out where you are. Kaito is nearly here, so don't worry, we'll rescue you both!' He looked at the three men who were talking with each other in front of him and prepared to hold up his phone.

Heiji felt the car decreasing in speed, so he prepared himself to get off the vehicle. He felt a metal pipe beside him, so he grabbed it as a weapon, he needed to make the man who kidnapped Kazuha pay, after all.

When the detective was sure that the car has stopped, he waited for the man to get out of the car before sneaking out himself. Heiji silently thanked the heavens when he saw the man just smoking a cigarette near the door of the car. He silently crept up behind him and when the man turned around, he was met with a quick swipe of the pipe that the detective was holding. "Don't ever lay a finger on her again!" Heiji dropped the weapon and quickly went to the back seat so he could save Kazuha. He opened the door and he saw that Kazuha was just rubbing her eyes. 'Perfect timing,' he thought.

"Heiji?" she asked. "Why are we in a car?"

"I'll explain later," he replied. "For now, we need to get out of here." Earning a quick nod from his girlfriend, he helped her get out of the car. He made a quick look at the man and when he saw that he was still down, the detective draped her left arm over his shoulder as they limped away. 'I hope Kudo gets the code I sent him,' Heiji thought. 'I'll tease him nonstop for the next week if he doesn't! I'm so glad I was –'

BANG.

A gunshot rang through the entire factory, even reaching a few meters outside. Heiji's eyes widened, as he dropped to his knees. Coughing up some blood, Kazuha's screams were the last things he heard before collapsing on the cold floor.

"HEIJI!"

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

" _ **They're hiding at the HQ in Mt. Fuji!"**_

" _ **Heiji, we will avenge you."**_

" _ **Kudo-kun, what do you have in mind?"**_

" _ **Don't let Ai and the others know that we're going to war."**_

 _ **CHAPTER 26: THE ORGANIZATION'S LAST STAND, PART 1**_

* * *

 _ **So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, guys! It's official! Kaito likes Akako as well and even wants to ask her out! The big battle against the Organization starts atthe next chapter, but take note that it will NOT be the last chapters. There are still plenty more to come so I hope you support me with this. Until then, see you later, dudes! P.S. There's an FB page about this fanfic now! The name is of course, I'll Always Be Here, be sure to check it out, guys!**_

 _ **-Lance**_


	26. The Organization's Last Stand, Part 1

_**Okay, so the first battle against the Organization starts here! I'm really having difficulty in writing because of the increasing school stuff that has been bugging me since August. There is still some good out of that, though. I managed to back out from joining the speech choir of our class and support them as one of the propsmen! The good thing about that is that I won't be as busy as I was for the past weeks. Still, I'm happy to continue entertaining you guys! Reviews are the things that give me determination the most, and a new review had me revved up to type in 2000+ words in less than fifteen minutes! It seemed like USA has been my biggest supporter in the past few months, and there's a reason why I love that country so much! Also, to all KaitoxAkako shippers out there, I hope you're excited on what's going to happen between the two of them! You saw in the last chapter that he has feelings for Akako, so it's a matter of time before he confesses! Unless, Aoko confesses her feelings first… Would Aoko just let him be with Akako, or will she fight for her childhood friend? Unfortunately, you're gonna have to wait for that chapter guys, I think it'll take place after the battle with the Organization, or in the 40s, it's a very special moment between the developing romancs… The thing is, it's hard to match everything up and it's also hard on deciding how should I cut a chapter off! But, I know I can do it… this is the first work of fiction I've done that earned likeness from other countries, so I'm not going to let that be gone. I guess it's been decided that I am writing a NaLu fanfic after I finish this, so be patient to all Fairy Tail fans! I don't really know if I'll do a one-shot or multiple chapters, but it's yet to be decided. I'm also planning on the potential sequel for 'I'll Always Be Here', I think the time gap would be ten years after the events in this story. I guess that's enough news reporting for now and I don't have much info to talk about today, so I guess I'll see you all later!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I have taken back Erebor yet I still don't own DC…*cough The Hobbit cough***_

* * *

As the body of the Osakan detective was motionless on the floor, Kazuha sank to her knees while clasping her two hands over her mouth as she couldn't stop herself from the tears that were flowing freely from her eyes. She used every bit of strength she had at the moment to turn him over on his back, then she laid his head on her lap. A few tears fell from her face all the way to Heiji's, he was bleeding more and more by the second and she could tell that he's not going to last long without immediate medication. Afterwards, her eyes moved from her lover to the smirking man who was panting heavily, holding a pistol in his hand. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she cried while hugging the detective's body close to her chest. "IF HEIJI DOESN'T MAKE IT, I'LL SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

The man, who was still in pain after Heiji hit him with metal pipe, forced himself to sit awkwardly while letting out a victorious grin. "Hehe," he said sarcastically. "To tell you the truth, the original plan was only to kidnap that kid's girlfriend, it didn't involve him getting hurt." Kazuha stopped sniffling for a moment to listen to what the man has to say. "But him gone? The Organization would surely reward me!" Kazuha felt heartbroken at the vision of Heiji dying, while the man just laughed at the two of them. "They will praise me for what I did. They will kneel before me!" Kazuha glared at the man's arrogance as she heard many footsteps coming their way. "They will forever remember me as the member who silenced the Great Detective of the East!" The man raised both his arms in the air as a sign of victory, but eventually gave out as he collapsed on the floor with his eyes closed. When the girl's eyes moved from the man all the way up, she sighed in relief from the sight of Kaito Kuroba and Conan Edogawa standing behind the man.

The two of them were panting heavily because they drained their energies running all the way from Haido Hotel. It wasn't very far, yet it wasn't near as well. Conan managed to put the man to sleep with his tranquilizing watch before he could endanger Kazuha again and after that, their eyes moved from him to Heiji's body on the floor.

Two pairs of eyes widened as they quickly went towards Kazuha, who still had Heiji's head on her lap. For the first time in what seemed like hours, her attention to her boyfriend broke and looked up at the two detectives with tears flowing from her eyes. "Well?!" she said. "Are you two just going to stand there and do nothing or are you going to call an ambulance?!"

"The police will arrive with the paramedics soon," Kaito replied with a low tone. Both him and Conan felt bad at the sight of their best friend at his weakest, a part of them blamed themselves for Heiji's incident.

A few minutes later, the police, led by Megure-keibu, arrived at the scene. Kogoro also tagged along, and when they saw Heiji's lifeless body, they immediately carried him all the way to the stretcher in the ambulance. Kazuha was the only one who went with him in the ambulance; even if Conan and Kaito wanted to go as well, they knew that they need to get information out of the man who kidnapped Kazuha and shot Heiji. The duo watched as the man was handcuffed, but not before Conan noticed that his phone was turning on and off in his pants. He shook Kaito's leg, earning his attention, and pointed to the man's pants. The former magician noticed the phone as well, so he stepped forward and brought out a handkerchief. Inspector Megure watched as Kaito took out the phone. He turned it on and saw that there was a text message sent to the man. He opened it and his eyes widened in shock. He immediately went to Conan and showed him the text message. Conan's eyes went wide as well with what was sent.

 _Do you have the girl? I'm on my way, and I'm coming alone. Vodka has a solo mission to do, and Vermouth is currently spying on the FBI, which is a good thing, I don't want somebody else catching on with my plan except ano kata._

After the two of them read the message, they glared at the phone upon seeing who the sender was.

"GIN," they snarled in unison.

All of the people present inside the factory never knew that a man with long blonde hair donning a black coat and hat was watching them all along. He narrowed his eyes at the two detectives as he left the place. He gave off an evil grin as he pulled out a cigarette and started to smoke.

 **Two days later…**

Conan managed to hide the truth about what happened in the factory from Ryuuichi, Ai, and Kazuko. It had been an awkward day for Conan at school, debating to himself whether he will inform his shrunken friends about the BO's recent activity or keep it to himself. Heiji's incident kept his mouth shut as he did not want Ai, Ryuuichi, and Kazuko suffering the same fate like with his best friend. He was on his way to Beika Hospital to visit him, and it lifted a boulder inside him upon knowing that his friend was in stable condition, they just need to wait for him to wake up.

Kazuha was the one who did not want to leave Heiji's side for the past two days. She did not even bother to get off her chair and buy food or water, forcing Ran to drop by the hospital to give her something to eat and drink. All she cared about was seeing her lover wake up and to embrace him again.

Kaito had his butler to deliver clothes to him, saying that he was right about something interesting was going to happen. He also went to the hospital a few times, and Aoko went with him on his most recent visit yesterday.

'Man, it really pains me to see Hattori like this,' Conan thought. 'Of course he would do anything find Kazuha-chan, but I think it was foolish of him to go after that BO member alone… Speaking of that member, Megure-keibu will allow us to interrogate him tonight. That's perfect, cause this has gone far enough! I won't let another friend of mine be harmed in this!' An image of Ryuuichi, Ai, and Kazuko then appeared in his mind. 'You three… I'm sorry. I know we should be in this together, but after seeing what happened with Hattori, I can't bear the sight of you three getting hurt.' The image was cut off until only Ai could be seen. 'Especially you, Ai. But don't worry, we'll win this battle, and I promise it'll all be over. And then we can finally be at peace.'

 **Beika Hospital**

Conan went inside Heiji's room, as expected, Kazuha was right beside the sleeping Osakan detective. Kaito was walking back and forth throughout the whole room looking at his phone, which made Conan raise an eyebrow in confusion. He set down his school bag on the couch and walked over to Kaito. When the former magician noticed him, he gestured to his friend to go outside, earning a nod from Conan.

When the both of them got outside, Conan was the first to speak. "So what's up?" asked Conan. "You look like you lost something valuable to you earlier."

Kaito knelt down so he was on the same level as Conan. "I talked to Ran-san earlier. She told me that your little friends will come over later to visit." Conan's eyes widened.

"Wait, why?! We can't let them see us while we interrogate the BO member later! Especially Ai, Kazuko, and Ryuuichi! If they find out that a BO member is in the hands of the police, they won't stop asking questions until they join the fight themselves! I can't let another person close to me get hurt!"

"I know. Which is why I figured that if they ask what happened to Heiji, we tell them that it was indeed a BO member. But we tell them that the member escaped us at the last moment so they'll think that we are still searching."

"Good. Did Ran tell you what time they would be coming?"

"She didn't say what time, but they'll drop by at night." Conan nodded and Kaito stood up. "I'm going out for a walk, and maybe buy some food, I'm starving. Do you want something to eat?" A loud growl of Conan's stomach was the reply that he needed. "Later, Shinichi. Tell Kazuha-san that I'll be buying her food as well." Kaito turned and walked in the opposite direction as Conan went back inside the room.

 **4 hours later…**

The doors to Heiji's room opened, which made Kazuha, Kaito, and Conan look at who would be visiting Heiji. The Detective Boys went inside the room along with Ran, but what confused the shrunken detective was that Ryuuichi wasn't with them. As the three kids and Ran greeted Kaito and Kazuha, Conan went to Ai and Kazuko. "Ryuuichi isn't here?" asked Conan.

"Can you see him?" asked Ai and Conan shook his head. "See? He's not here." She smirked at him which made him groan in annoyance at her.

"Now's not the time for fun and games… my best friend just got hurt pretty bad and I need to find the man responsible for this!"

"Did something happen to you? You sound like a BO member was the one who attacked Hattori-kun." Ai crossed her arms while Kazuko simply raised an eyebrow.

"That's because it IS a BO member," he said, making Ai and Kazuko's eyes widen. "That member kidnapped Kazuha-chan a few days ago and Hattori went after him, so yeah, he got shot. He didn't even try to wait for us to arrive!"

"Did you apprehend him?" asked Kazuko with eyes full of hope. Conan didn't really want to hide the truth from them, but he couldn't bear the sight of another friend of his fall to the organization. He looked down on the ground before taking a deep breath.

"Where is Ryuuichi first? This is a matter that needs to be discussed between all of us."

"He said he won't be coming with us today, cause he has a new gadget that he needs to work on and that he's bored at the moment," Kazuko explained with a sweat drop.

Conan's face dropped and he groaned in annoyance. "Man, he may be a genius, but he sure is lazy… Fine, I'll tell you two first then you go tell him." The two girls nodded as Conan cleared his throat. "Hattori was shot by a BO member a few days ago. Like I said, Kazuha-chan was kidnapped and he just went berserk on finding her. I bet he didn't even think about his own safety when he was looking for her. Kazuha-chan told me and Kaito that she was sleeping in a black car until Hattori woke her up. He tried to escape with her, but the member shot him." Ai stomped her right foot angrily on the ground, startling both Conan and Kazuko.

"What happened to the BO member?!" demanded Ai, who had her eyebrows knitted together and her eyes were closed tight.

Conan thought about what she said. If he told the two of them, they would join in the battle against the Black Organization, but at the cost of their own safety. However, if he didn't tell them about the BO member, they'd continue on hoping for more clues regarding the syndicate and they'd be safe from harm. The detective really wanted to tell them the truth, because they deserve to know and that the cure to APTX 4869 must be completed; but something inside him was holding him back. Whenever he tries to think about what that 'thing' was, he'd always see Heiji lying in a hospital bed, and at the worst cases, in a coffin. What's more, if Ai got hurt in the process, he'd never be able to forgive himself and that he might be traumatized. He was cut off from his decision making when he noticed that Kazuko was snapping her fingers in front of his face. "Hey, Shinichi-kun!" whispered Kazuko. "So what? What happened to that BO member? Did the police get him?"

Seeing the look of determination on their faces, Conan finally came to a decision. 'I'm sorry about this Ai,' he said in his thoughts. 'I really want to fight alongside with you, Kazuko, and Ryuuichi. But what matters to me the most is your safety.' He took a deep breath. "No, we didn't get him. When we got there, the only ones present were Kazuha-chan and Hattori. There's no doubt that he escaped even before we could get there." Ai and Kazuko's determined faces then turned into glares after hearing what he said. Conan figured that this would likely take things in the wrong direction, so he quickly spoke up. "But don't worry, you two. We'll do everything in our power to find that man and make sure that the organization pays for what happened to Hattori!"

The two girls nodded as Ai stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, pulling him into a deep hug. The boy returned the hug and she abruptly pulls away before Conan kisses her slightly in the forehead. The boy then turned to his black-haired friend and wrapped his arms around her, and she returned it with a hug of her own. When he breaks off the hug, he looked behind him to check on the time on the clock. It was 6:49 in the evening then he noticed Kaito standing on the doorway with his face visible due to a small window. The former magician nodded at his friend who quickly nodded in return as he turned his attention back to the two girls. "I'm going out for a while, okay? And no, you can't come with me, I need some time to myself." The two girls smiled softly and it led Conan to head out the door.

A police car was parked outside and Kaito was leaning on the passenger door, using his phone. When he looked up and saw Conan, he opened the door and got in, which prompted Conan to get inside as well. The driver was Takagi-keiji and with him was Shiratori-keibu. When the car started moving away from the hospital, Conan glanced one more time at the place, feeling regret at hiding the truth from his two friends.

Kaito turned off his phone and hid it in his pocket. He broke the silence inside the vehicle by asking the first question. "So what happened to that BO member? Is he ready for interrogation?"

"Megure-keibu told me that he's pretty loyal to the syndicate," answered Takagi-keiji. "Every time that they try to ask him a question, he'd just look away and whistle until the person interrogating him is gone. Do you still think that we can get information about the BO from that guy? We can just let him be in jail and wait for another member…"

"We can't do that. The longer we let the Organization do what it wants, the more innocent people will get involved in this matter. And don't think that they're dumb enough to send another member to a kidnapping mission, they could be planning their next strategy right now."

"But what's the point? That guy doesn't even answer even the simplest questions that the other officers ask! We won't be able to squeeze info from him if he is loyal to the syndicate! What do you suppose we do?"

"Leave it to us," replied Conan. "We'll make him talk, even if he doesn't want to. Every person in the world fears something, and I'm sure that that member has one as well. I'm not letting Hattori's heroic deed be in vain, we'll make sure that he'll talk by the end of the night. But if all else fails, then just throw him in jail for kidnapping and murder attempt." Takagi-keiji nodded and focused on driving again.

Shiratori-keibu brought out his phone that was vibrating in his pocket. He opened the text message sent to him by Megure-keibu and he cleared his throat, earning the three's attention. "You three pay attention to what I'm going to say," he stated. "Apparently, even though that Megure-keibu and the other officers couldn't get info out of him, they managed to get his ID, which showed his codename in the organization, real name, and phone number. So now we have a few personal info about him."

"What's his codename?!" asked Kaito.

"According to the man's ID, the codename that he uses in the organization is 'Tonic'."

"W-what about his real name?"

"His real name is Kinoshita Hiro."

Kaito leaned back on his seat and took a deep breath before shifting his attention to Conan. "You hear that, Shinichi?" he whispered. "We're one step closer to bringing down the organization, which is also a step closer to finding a cure for the drug that shrunk you." Conan simply smirked as he thought of the BO member, Tonic, cooperating with them in finding the whereabouts of the organization.

 **Beika Metropolitan Police Department**

Takagi-keiji and Shiratori-keibu led Conan and Kaito through the halls of the station until they saw Megure-keibu with a few other officers standing outside a room, talking to each other. "Oh, Shiratori-kun! Takagi-kun! You're finally here!" exclaimed Megure-keibu as soon as he noticed the four. "I see you also brought Kuroba-kun and Conan-kun as well…"

"They might be able to help with the interrogation, keibu," said Takagi. "Let's give them a chance."

"I don't see why not," replied the inspector with a shrug of his shoulders. "After all, we need all the help we can get if we want to squeeze the truth out of the BO member inside the room behind us. I just have to warn you two that if you touch him while asking, he can go crazy and break your arm! It took four of our officers to weaken him." Conan and Kaito nodded as they entered the room. The man inside had his hands tied behind the chair, and he had many bruises on his face and arms. When he noticed the two detectives come inside the room, an evil grin formed on his face as he began to laugh mischievously.

"You two are the friends of that Osakan brat!" he announced in a crazy voice. "What brings you here? Have you come to tell me that the Great Detective of the West has passed away? Or have you come for information about the organization?" As soon as he finished his sentence, he was met by a knee to the gut, courtesy of the former magician.

"We don't have time for your shitty games," snarled Kaito. "Tell us where the HQ of the organization is."

"My, my, have you gotten lost?" Tonic asked sarcastically. "Do you need my help in directions? Even if you do need my help in finding our HQ, what makes you think I'd accept your little proposal. I have a better proposal for you. Just grab a gun, point it to your head, fire and I'll see you in hell!"

Kaito was beyond pissed as he grabbed Tonic's shirt tightly. "You better tell me now the whereabouts of the organization is or I'll swear you'll regret it! You're lucky that Heiji is still alive until now, cause if he wasn't, there's no place in this world for you to hide and I'll kill you myself.

"And who are you to be giving me such a boring death threat? Don't you even know how to threaten other people? People like you shouldn't be even given a chance to ask questions to highly dangerous criminals." Kaito's grip on Tonic's shirt tightened as the BO member head-butted the former magician to escape from his dangerous grip. Tonic smirked and before Kaito could even make a move to retaliate, Conan's outstretched hand stopped him in his tracks as the boy went to Tonic.

"Tell us the truth now or regret being part of the organization your whole life," said Conan in a blank tone.

"Who in the hell do you think you are, boy?! Do you even have any idea who you're talking to?! I'll never betray the organization! Because of them, my family has been living the good life from the money they pay me! Tell THAT to your friend right there! So go home already because mommy might be worried about you!"

Conan flashed his signature smirk. 'Got you now…'

"So your family is the reason why you're loyal to the syndicate? Bad news for you, because when the organization finds out that you have been captured by the police, they will destroy anything or anyone that has any connection whatsoever with you. Your house, money, even your family." After hearing the last word that came out of Conan's mouth, Tonic glared at the boy and started to struggle against the bonds that held him back.

"Come here, boy! I'll tell you why you shouldn't talk about the organization like that in front of me! Don't even try to make me come and join your side!"

"It's up to you whether you want to believe me or not. However, don't blame anyone and only yourself when you find out that the Organization wiped out every member of your family." Tonic's eyes widened. "Especially Gin. I saw your messages with him, and you two seem to get along well. But you never know what is really going on inside his head. He kills anyone who stands in his way, and he won't hesitate to kill everyone you love once he finds out what happened to you." This caused the BO member to look down on the ground. "It seems that even we can't change your mind, so good luck coping." Conan turned around and grabbed Kaito's hand as they started to head for the door. But before they could take a step outside, a voice stopped them.

"Mt. Fuji!" Conan and Kaito turned around with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"They're hiding at the HQ in Mt. Fuji! There, that's all I know! Just please don't let them hurt my family!" Tears started to fall from his eyes. "I can't be happy without my wife and daughter!"

"Thank you for cooperating, and don't worry, they'll be safe in the hands of the police," said Conan as the two of went out. Megure-keibu, Shiratori-keibu, and Takagi-keiji were waiting for them and they stood up when the two left the room.

"Did you catch on with what he said?" asked Kaito, earning a quick nod from the three police officers. "Then it's official, Mt. Fuji is their hideout. Step one is completed, now let's head on to step two, bring them down."

"I will arrange a meeting about this matter tomorrow," said Megure-keibu. "Kuroba-kun, make sure that you and Conan-kun will go too." Kaito nodded, which caused Megure-keibu to groan loudly. "You two can go back to the hospital now, that info should be enough for us." The fat inspector then left the scene as he exited the building.

"Heiji, we will avenge you," Kaito muttered to himself. "This battle is for you my friend."

Takagi-keiji noticed that Conan was deep in thought as he leaned against the wall just right next to him. He went towards the little detective and knelt until they had the same eye level. "Kudo-kun, got something on your mind?" he asked the boy.

"When we leave for Mt. Fuji, don't let Ai and the others know that we're going to war," replied Conan. "The last thing I want to happen is see Ai, or any of my friends injured or bound by accidents. Hattori has already been injured, and I don't want to see anyone else to get hurt or seriously injured. Can you just make up an excuse for me to be gone for, maybe a week?"

Takagi-keiji nodded. "No problem, Kudo-kun! Now I think you and your friend should be going back, I can give you a ride in a patrol car." Conan quickly nodded as he and Kaito went inside the passenger seat so that he could take a quick nap. Conan was left in thought by what was happening at the very moment.

'Well, this is it,' he thought. 'We now know where the organization is and how could we go there. A part of me was angry with myself because I didn't tell the truth to Ai, Kazuko, and Ryuuichi. But the majority in my body agreed that I made the right choice to not let them know about Tonic. This would've been easier if Hattori was here, fighting the organization with us but what can I do? I can't reverse time, so I have to stick to reality…'

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"What's a kid doing in the middle of a very important meeting?!"**_

 _ **"Why did Conan have to leave the hospital early?"**_

 _ **"Retreat… for now…"**_

 _ **"It's time to pay for what you've done…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 27: THE ORGANIZATION'S LAST STAND, PART 2**_

* * *

 _ **A couple of my friends were asking me over and over about who knew Conan's secret and it's irritating me so guys, this is for you! Here's the list of the characters in THIS fanfic who knows Conan's true identity as Kudo Shinichi:**_

 _ **-Heiji**_

 _ **-Kaito**_

 _ **-Takagi**_

 _ **-Sato**_

 _ **-Sonoko**_

 _ **-Agasa-hakase**_

 _ **-Ai**_

 _ **-Kazuko**_

 _ **-Ryuuichi**_

 _ **-Yukiko**_

 _ **-Yuusaku**_

 _ **-Vermouth**_

 _ **Here they are! Not too many, yet not too few at all. They know CONAN'S secret but not Ai's. So far, only 6 people in this fanfic knows about Ai (also refer to the list above) and I don't think that's going to be added with more people because it'll just be harder and more complicated to mix and match everything up! But let's not care about that! Keep up with your reviews, follows, and favorites! Love you all!**_

 _ **-Lance**_


	27. The Organization's Last Stand, Part 2

_**Welcome to the second part of the big battle against the Black Organization! I apologize if the first part was pretty boring, but I needed it to build up the tension for this one! This is a very long chapter, one of the longest in my opinion, and I hope all of you can follow. I had a really hard time on thinking of new battle scenes for this chapter, but I managed to get through due to help from new movies and new anime that I'm watching. At the end of the chapter, the member of the Black Organization that will have a change of heart will finally be revealed and it's going to be hard to do so due to that person's personality. The next chapter after this will be dedicated to that person and will show the reason why he/she joined and supported the organization in the first place, as well as the reason why he/she turned his/her back on the syndicate. It will be purely imagination, and don't blame me if I get too out of character, I've already said that in the summary. A time skip after the next three chapters (including this chapter) will happen and the question remains. Will Aoko give in to her feelings first? Or will Kaito move on and pursue Akako? Next, to those of you who are wondering… yes, Kazuko and Ryuuichi will end up with one another in the end, their romance will just be slow to develop. Hey, I gotta give Kazuko someone to end up with! If I didn't, she would be like Haibara in the manga/anime. Ran will also have a happy ending, you just have to wait for it in the final chapters. Man, I never thought that this fanfic would be so long, I thought it would just reach 10 or 15 chapters, but now it's halfway towards 50! If you want to view the full list of chapters, visit my FB page! - (I'll Always Be Here) I'll post the titles of all 50 chapters there. But there are spoilers there, and if you don't mind them, go take a look but if you want to stay excited for the next chapters, then don't. Also, damn episode 874! I was so pissed yet laughing hard at the same time! Heiji ALMOST confessed to Kazuha but was interrupted by the police. But it's still a good scene, though… the tension was climactic and I hope an even better confession scene will happen between the two! This isn't purely romance, it's more of a romance-along-the-way kind of fanfic. Thank you for the continued support and I hope you'll stick with me until the end. Don't forget to leave a review!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I've collected all nine Tailed Beasts yet I still don't own DC *cough Naruto cough***_

* * *

Conan was cut off from his thoughts when he saw that Kaito's phone was ringing in his pocket. He gently shook his friend, who yawned and looked at the boy with a confused look. Conan pointed to his pocket in his pants, and Kaito took out his phone to see who was messaging or calling him. The former magician's went wide as a smile formed on his face when he saw what was inside the text message sent to him. "YATTA!" he said, startling his friend beside him.

"The hell's wrong with you?" asked Conan.

"Heiji just woke up!" replied Kaito.

"Hontou?!"

"Here, Kazuha-san sent me a message!" He handed his phone to Conan who started to read the message.

 _Kuroba-kun, Heiji woke up! I'm so happy right now, I think I'm going to die! Is Conan-kun with you right now? If he is, you two need to come back right now! Ran-chan is getting worried and Heiji told us here that he wants to talk to the both of you! See you!_

After Conan read the message, he panted in relief, thanking whoever he could thank for saving his best friend's life. 'That was a close one,' he thought. 'I'm so glad Hattori's okay, we need to inform him about our interrogation with Tonic tonight. He could at least provide distraction to Ran, Ai, and the others while me and Kaito head to Mt. Fuji. This is the last time that I'm ever seeing a friend of mine get hurt.'

 **Beika Hospital**

Just as Kaito opened the door to Heiji's room, him and Conan saw their friend, sitting on his bed and talking to Ran and Kazuha. There were no signs of the Detective Boys everywhere. When the three heard footsteps in the room, they turned their heads to see who it was. "You two!" Ran called. "Where have you been?!"

"Oh, uh, me and this gaki j-just went out for d-dinner!" Kaito stuttered, hoping that she would buy his excuse. Seeing her nod, the former magician sighed in relief.

"Finally!" Heiji announced. "Kuroba, I never thought you would stay at Tokyo just to watch over me." Kaito scoffed and looked away. "Aaaw, cheer up man! It's not wrong to do what you did!" With this, Kaito crossed his arms and didn't pay attention to his friend at all. "I'm just kidding, you magician!" Heiji then turned to Conan. "How have you been, Kudo?! It's been a while since I was out! Thanks for coming all the way here!"

An almost sacred name reverberated throughout the whole room. Ran was the first to react with a raised eyebrow, followed by Kazuha, who had a shocked face, then Kaito and Conan, who had a look of worry on both of their faces. Heiji wondered why the room was dead silent, so he looked at all of their faces. "Hey, why's everyone so quiet all of a sudden?" he asked out of the blue.

"Hattori-kun, what did you mean when you said 'Kudo'?" asked Ran, who leaned a hit closer to the Osakan detective. Heiji then realized his mistake and tried thinking for an excuse, and when he looked at his best friend, Conan was shaking his left to right as if he was shivering. Kaito was tracing his neck left to right with a finger, telling his friend to cut what he's about to say. "Well?" Ran continued.

Heiji scratched the back of his head in response. "Oh, did I say 'Kudo'?! I m-meant 'Kurou'! (Kurou – trouble, I think) You know, I'm thanking the boy for the trouble he went just to go here!" Hearing this, Ran went back to her chair and let out a disappointing sigh. "That reminds me! Can you two girls go outsife for a while? I need to talk to those two doofuses there, I have something important to tell them!"

"But I want to stay here with you!" Kazuha whined. Heiji should've saw this coming. "Heiji, I don't want to leave your side!"

Heiji sweat-dropped. 'So you're like this when I get hurt?' he thought. 'I would really love it when you're here, Kazuha, but this is something between only the three of us.' "Kazuha, if you stay outside and let me talk to Kuroba and the gaki, I'll take you out on a date when I get out of here."

Kazuha's eyes lit up like fireballs. "Hontou?!" Heiji nodded. "O-okay, I guess I can let you talk to Kuroba-kun and Conan-kun… but where am I supposed to go while waiting for you three to finish?"

Heiji facepalmed. "You and Ran-chan could go out to eat dinner, from what I recall, you told me earlier that you two haven't had dinner yet. Do whatever you want, just let me have a guy-to-guy talk with those two over there…"

"Okay, Heiji!" she stood up and gave her boyfriend a quick peck on the cheek before heading outside the room with Ran. After Conan made sure that the coast was clear, Heiji sighed in relief and leaned back on his bed with his arms behind his head.

"Man, I thought it would take forever to convince those two to leave," said Heiji.

"You know, if Aoko was here, it would've been harder," Kaito joked.

Heiji chuckled at the thought and turned his attention back to his two friends. "So what happened to the BO member who shot me? Did he escape?"

"We managed to catch him before he could," answered Conan. "We actually interrogated him earlier and we finally got the location of the organization's hideout." The last words that came out of the boy rang like an alarm clock inside Heiji's head. This caused him to sit up straight from his relaxing position with widened eyes.

"YOU DID?!" Conan and Kaito nodded. "Where are they hiding?!"

"According to the BO member that we interrogated earlier, whose codename was Tonic, their HQ is at Mt. Fuji. We know that it may be a trick, Heiji, but we have to go for it."

"All right! I can't wait to get out of here so I could get my hands on that stinking syndicate!"

"Hattori, you're not coming with us."

"What do you mean I can't, Kudo?" Heiji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Kaito and I will be heading to the HQ, but you're staying here. You witnessed what the organization can do, and we… no, I don't want to see you getting hurt like that again. It was a miracle that you survived, but we're not taking any risks again. You're going to stay here where you're safe. But don't think that you are going to be of no use to us. I didn't tell Ai and the others about what happened to you, you need to prevent them from knowing the truth, otherwise, they'll join the fight as well and may end up in the same position where you are right now, and I don't want to see the day that that happens."

"I agree with Shinichi, Heiji," piped up Kaito, who got Heiji's attention. "Even if we allowed you to cone with us get discharged here, it's a matter of time before we head to Mt. Fuji. It's best that you stay here and keep everyone that we know and love happy and quiet. It's for the best, my friend."

Heiji then leaned back on the bed and sighed. "All right, all right, I get it." His two friends sighed in relief but they were still worried that he was still angry at them. Good thing that Heiji noticed the looks on their faces and he groaned. "Come on, stop crying, you babies… I'm not angry. I'm just pissed off that I won't be getting to fight with you two." Conan and Kaito warmly smiled at their friend before Heiji spoke again. "Just make sure to beat the hell out of them… after all, I can't really get out of this hospital for now."

"Consider it done, Hattori." Just as Conan finished his 'promise', Ran and Kazuha walked inside the room, Sonoko was also with them, with the three teenagers smiling warmly at the three of them. They knew that it was going to be a very long night for them…

 **The Next Morning…**

"Hattori-kun, why did Conan-kun have to leave the hospital early?" asked Ran as she looked questioningly at the Osakan detective.

"Kaito-kun also left with the gaki!" said Sonoko. "Do you have any idea where the two of them might be?" She added a wink to her statement, informing Heiji that it will be fine to tell her the truth, since she now knows about Conan.

Heiji gulped and thought about what Conan said to him last night. 'Don't worry, Kudo!' he thought. 'They're not getting past me!' "No idea," he answered. "I was actually wondering where they were as well…" Hearing this made Sonoko, Ran, and Kazuha look at each other with worried looks on their faces. "But don't worry, you three! I'm sure they'll be back soon…" As he finished his sentence, Sonoko eyed him suspiciously.

'Heiji-kun,' she thought. 'I'm starting to think that you're hiding something from me…'

 **Beika Metropolitan Police Department**

Conan and Kaito just passed a room where different voices could be heard from the outside. They first looked at each other, then Conan shrugged his shoulders, telling his friend "won't hurt to try". Kaito sighed and knocked on the door, slightly nervous that they were going to interrupt something important. They had been roaming around the entire police department for half an hour in search of either Megure-keibu, Takagi-keiji, Shiratori-keibu, or Sato-keiji. They came across different rooms along the way, and a lot of police officers complained about two kids interrupting police work, causing the two friends to smile embarrassingly at every wrong room they went.

The door opened, and the two sighed heavily in relief on seeing a familiar face. "Oh, Conan-kun! Kuroba-kun!" exclaimed Megure-keibu as he opened the door fully for them. "The meeting regarding the BO is going to start shortly, you two made it on time!" The two friends sweat-dropped because of what they went through just to get there. "Come inside, you two are important assets in this matter," he led the two inside the room. It wasn't a large room, though it was filled with chairs, and many police officers were present at the said meeting. Matsumoto-keiji was standing in front of all the people sitting, eyeing Conan and Kaito suspiciously.

"Hey, Megure," said the superintendent. "What's a kid doing in the middle of an important meeting? You know that this isn't the time to play games…"

"Sir, these two kids are witnesses regarding the kidnapping of Toyama Kazuha and the attack on Hattori Heiji," replied Megure-keibu. "They also managed to interrogate the suspect last night and I asked for their help today."

Suddenly, Conan stepped forward and stood beside Matsumoto-keiji. Kaito raised an eyebrow at him, as if he was saying, 'What are you planning to do?' The only reply he got was a deep breath that the boy took. "I may be a kid in all of your eyes, but I know more about our current enemy more than you do," Fonan began. "The Black Organization is a very dangerous enemy and many have fallen victims to them. Including the high school detective, Kudo Shinichi." There were gasps echoing inside the room, and Kaito could've sworn that he saw the superintendent flinch a bit. "Kudo Shinichi may have been a victim, but he is not dead. He is currently in hiding, waiting for the day that the syndicate would meet its end. The detective managed to escape from their clutches and he was forced to hide due to… changes."

"How could a kid like you know so much about this?" a police officer asked.

"How do I know?" Conan gulped and thought, 'This is it.' "Cause you're looking at Kudo Shinichi." As soon as this was heard, widened eyes, loud gasps, and whispers filled the room, with Kaito crossing his arms and raised an eyebrow at his friend.

'What are you planning, Shinichi?' he thought.

Conan explained his situation to everyone present, starting from when he left Ran at Tropical Land to spy on two suspicious men in black, to his fall from grace by being forced to consume a highly dangerous drug, and to his rebirth as a child detective who is doing everything he can to bring the organization to its end. After elaborating everything needed to elaborate, Megure-keibu stepped forward and raised an eyebrow at the boy. "If you are really Kudo-kun, then how do you know so much about the organization?" he asked. "It's not like you have walked into their HQ and got out safely, and it's certainly not like you have spied on them without getting harmed."

With that, Conan took the explaining to a different direction and brought Miyano Shiho to the scene. He told them about how, and why she created such a dangerous drug starting from the murder of her sister, Akemi. Then, he told them how she managed to escape the clutches of the syndicate and into the arms of his good friend, Agasa-hakase. Lastly, he told them about how she is currently working under the alias, Haibara Ai, to make an antidote to the drug, and that there are other shrunken victims like him in Japan.

Matsumoto-keiji cleared his throat. "Now that's settled, we have to make a move as soon as possible! We now know where their HQ is so get ready to move out! I'll contact the local police nearest to the mountain and see what they can do to help. Dismissed!" All the officers in the room, including Kaito, saluted. When everyone started to head out, the former magician watched in confusion when Conan tugged on the sleeve of the superintendent. "What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

"Sir, I have told you every secret that is needed to know," Conan spoke in a serious voice. "First, please don't speak of this to anyone else, I don't want my identity to be revealed to the people, the organization might know. This secret will only stay with the police here, do you get it?"

"Of course, I'm not stupid to reveal who you are in front of national television." He looked at his watch and turned back to the boy. "Is that all that you wanted to tell me? We need to move as soon as possible."

"Ai's currently working on the antidote right now, and she might be a former member of the syndicate, but I don't want you to arrest her when this is all over. She was FORCED to create the drug, it's not by her own will. I don't want her to be blamed for what she didn't do, and I know I'm not in the right place to ask this, but please don't arrest her, she already had enough sadness for a lifetime."

"Oh, that's what you wanted to tell me?" Matsumoto-keiji knelt down to Conan's level. "I wouldn't dream of it, kid. I can tell that she is pretty important to you and I understand what she has been through." Conan flashed a grin, which earned him a chuckle from the Boss. "Tell you what, after this is over, I'll have the forensics team support her in creating the antidote; after all, she needs help even if she denies it."

Conan bows and salutes. "Thank you for being understanding, sir. I promise you that the syndicate will be brought to its knees today." The Boss chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair before he stood up and went outside the room, leaving a smirking Kaito and a relieved Conan inside.

 **Two hours later…**

Kaito tossed a small bulletproof vest to his friend, who barely caught it. They pleaded with Megure-keibu and Matsumoto-keiji to let them come, as there are two important things they need to do when they reach the HQ. To their surprise, the two officers granted their request as long as they stick with the police. Kaito suddenly remembered that Heiji needs to be informed of what was going to happen. He reached inside his pocket and brought out his phone, only to see that only 20% of the battery was left. He groaned and turned to Conan, who just finished putting on his vest. "Hey, Shinichi," he said.

"Nanda?" replied Conan.

"Do you think you could call Heiji? We gotta tell him that we're heading to the BO's HQ, and who knows? Ran-san may be worried sick about you and Aoko might drop by to the hospital because of me."

Conan flashed his smirk. "Are you worried that your girlfriend would be looking for you?" he teased.

Kaito sighed and rested his face on his right hand. "She's not my girlfriend, okay?" Hearing this made Conan's eyes widen slightly.

"What? But I thought you said –" before Conan could say anything else, Kaito already raised his hand to stop him.

"I was just exaggerating… I mean, I do want her to be my girlfriend, but…" An image of his ultimatum for Aoko flashed inside his mind. "I really don't know if she feels the same way. And besides, I'm having strange feelings for someone else as well." An image of Akako appeared in his head and he smiled softly.

"Well, no matter who you choose," Conan raised his fist and flashed a grin. "I'm here to support you." Kaito smiled and accepted the fist bump.

Conan took out his phone and dialed Heiji's cellphone number, and to his surprise, his call was answered immediately. "Hattori?"

"Yo, Kudo. Got something on your mind?"

"Yes. We're about to leave for Mt. Fuji so you're in charge in taking care of things here, okay?"

"All right, you can count on me. Also can you smack Kuroba on the head for me?" Conan raised an eyebrow, and looked at Kaito, who was using his phone.

"Why? What did he do?"

"His girlfriend here almost killed me! She was asking where Kuroba was and I had to calm her down for two hours!" Conan stifled a laugh, but he went to Kaito and smacked him on the back of his head. The former magician glared at him.

"What the hell's your problem, Shinichi?!" he nearly shouted, but Conan put a finger on his lips, telling his friend to keep quiet before turning his attention back to his phone.

"There, done. Anything else you want to say, Hattori?"

"Just be careful out there, all right? I know you two will stick together, but you still need to take care. The organization is very dangerous according to you and I don't want to see either of you lying on this bed where I am right now. And surely Kazuha and the others won't like that as well."

"Don't worry, Hattori. We'll take care. Talk to you later." Conan ended the call and looked at Kaito, who was still glaring at him because of what he did. "What's with the look?"

"Why did you hit me? I wasn't doing anything…"

"Oh, Hattori told me to smack you," Kaito raised an eyebrow. "According to him, Aoko-san nearly killed him, asking for your whereabouts," Conan smirked, while Kaito facepalmed and groaned.

"Aoko just can't survive for a week without me, I should've known she would be coming to look for me."

"You know, I think she likes you."

"What makes you think so?"

"You just said it! She can't survive even a week without you and she always looks for you whenever you're not by her side!"

Kaito shifted his gaze from his friend to the ground. "Maybe, or maybe not. I really don't know. She has to tell me herself is she does have feelings for me, otherwise I'm moving on from her." As a sign of comfort, Conan patted him on the shoulder.

"Come on, we should get going." Kaito nodded and the two went out the door.

 **3 hours later…**

Conan and Kaito were inside a truck surrounded by numerous police officers that were led by Takagi-keiji. They were the ones tasked to infiltrate and destroy the HQ from the inside. They were nearing the mountain, but they need to make sure that the organization won't see their vehicle. Unfortunately for them, a member outside the HQ managed to see the truck and instantly ran back inside the base to report it. Near the base of the mountain, there was a staircase leading down which was the entrance. The member ran to the main hall, where dozens of BO members were either working on weapons, training, making drugs, or just hanging around. There were four hallways, the left and right halls, and two halls on both sides of the room in front of him. He walked straight ahead which led to the Boss's room, with which he gulped heavily before knocking. There was no window in the room, but the door had a see-through glass, which enabled Ano Kata to look through. His eyes were scary enough to pierce through the soul of a person as he glared at who was outside. His right eye had no pupil, and was filled with scars while his left one was perfectly normal. He eyed the person up and down before stepping away and opening the door. The member walked inside as the Boss sat down on his chair, facing away. He grabbed his glass of beer and took a sip before clearing his throat. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to talk?!" he spoke.

"Boss, I saw a truck outside, a-and it s-seemed to b-be heading t-this way," the member replied with hesitation.

"Was it one of ours?"

"N-no, sir."

"And why do you think is that truck headed here?"

"B-based on the pattern which I saw, I t-think it's the police or t-the military."

The Boss growled and stood up, still not turning around. "Is that all that you wish to tell me?" he snarled.

"T-that is all, Boss," replied the member, bowing slightly. Before he knew it, the person in front of him was holding a pistol with a silencer directed to his head as his world became completely black.

Since the room was so dark with only a small fireplace serving as light, the Boss's smirk was not clearly visible. He turned on the speaker in his room, which was connected to every speaker in the base and spoke. "Everyone! Pay attention!" Every BO member inside stopped with what they were doing and listened to the speakers. "The police or the military are headed their way here and we must prepare for battle! Don't get confident just because we have sensors all around this mountain because they might have a whole battalion behind their backs. Execute Battle Plan no. 218 and make sure to guard every side of this base! I will watch over the whole battle and tell when is the time to evacuate, which will never happen! Now start moving!"

As the members outside started to prepare for battle, Ano Kata leaned back on his chair and looked at five contacts on his phone. 'Gin, Tequila, Rum, Vodka,' he thought. 'I'm counting on you five. If only Vermouth was here and not spying on the FBI she would be great aid for us. But it seems like I have to place my trust on these 4 and my son.'

At the right hall outside, a BO member leaned against the wall and narrowed his eyes at the Boss's room, before heading to the right hall beside it with a determined look on his face.

 **Meanwhile…**

The first team of combatants just finished getting off the truck. Takagi-keiji made a quick call to Megure-keibu, who was in charge of the second team and told him that they were going to move. Conan and Kaito were breathing deeply as they armed themselves with a pistol, a few rounds, and small hand grenades. "Man, Shinichi, are you nervous?" asked Kaito. "Cause I am."

"Of course I am," replied Conan. "I'm trying to stay calm because this is it. The day we face the organization. It'll be over for either us or them." Kaito looked at the clouds above and took another deep breath. "Thinking about your dad?"

"Yeah. I swear I'll avenge him. The organization won't get away this time. Especially Spider and Snake. I won't let oyaji's death be in vain." Conan initiated a fist bump and Kaito accepted it. "Come on, let's tell them we're moving first." Conan nodded and they went to Takagi-keiji, who was texting on his phone. He looked at the two teens in front of him with a raised eyebrow.

"Is there something wrong, you two?" he asked.

"We would like to move out now," answered Kaito. "The two of us first. We'll just scout the surroundings of the HQ first then we'll tell you if it's safe or not."

Takagi thought about it for a while, before he abruptly nodded. "All right, all right, just be careful, you two. You told us that the organization is highly dangerous, and we want to prevent casualties as much as we can."

"We will," said Conan. "We'll be as quick as possible." The two teens looked at each other for a moment before nodding. They make one last glance at the police officers with them before moving towards the base of the mountain. They held their pistols close as they carefully treaded through the field of grass.

They were nearing the middle of the mountain when they saw a staircase leading to a door below. Their eyes widen for a moment, before Kaito spoke. "Hey, Shinichi, don't you think that the organization is awfully quiet? Shouldn't they be preparing for battle by securing the outside? I mean, there is a chance that they saw our truck or they could have sensors that can detect our movements."

Conan narrowed his eyes. "I can only hope the organization is really in there, just look at those stairs. If they managed to evacuate the entire base in only one night, I'm going to squeeze more information from Tonic. Let's inform Takagi-keiji first." Kaito nodded and Conan turned on his radio. "Takagi-keiji, Conan here. We found an entrance at the side of the mountain… No, no one was here… We could only hope that they are really there… Please check the other side, I think there's another entrance there. If there is, we infiltrate the base together… Arigato."

"What'd he say?"

"I told him to go check the other side with everyone. Then if there is also an entrance there, we go inside. We'll just wait for them." Kaito nodded and sat on a nearby rock, scouting the surroundings and Conan did the same.

 **Inside the base…**

"Do our sensors detect anything yet?" asked Rum, who was hiding his face in a mask and hat.

"Still no sign of anyone, Rum," answered the member in front of him.

"Keep watch, they're planning something, I can tell. We can't let them step foot inside this base, do I make myself clear?" The member nodded shakily. "You may go." 'Ano Kata, did the member you kill told the truth?' he thought. 'Maybe he was just trying to scare us, or the police are really up to something… but that's strange, our sensors could detect as far as 200 meters from here…'

Another body fell to the cold floor when he released him. He managed to take out everyone that was supposed to watch over the HQ's sensors, and he watched the CCTVs outside that showed the police were nearly there to the base. 'I'm going to enjoy this,' he thought with a smirk as he sat down on a chair.

Conan's radio vibrated as the boy answered the call. "You saw it?... Are you all ready to move in?... All right, we're heading inside as well!" Conan turned off his radio and helped Kaito to get on his feet as they went downstairs to the entrance door. They gulped heavily before opening it slowly revealing a one-way hallway, causing the two to grin as they made their way inside.

Rum was getting irritated by the moment as he went to a random member. He grabbed him by the shoulders. "Go outside and check for intruders, I'm getting irritated as tine goes by," he released the man from his grip who immediately went outside through the main entrance. Not too long after that, the man ran back inside with a look of nervousness on his face.

"THE POLICE ARE ALREADY HERE!" he announced, causing everyone inside to have widened eyes. Ano Kata raised an eyebrow while inside his room, thinking about how could the police evade their base's sensors.

Rum gritted his teeth. "EXECUTE BATTLE PLAN NO. 218! GET MOVING!" Every member inside the bunker grabbed a weapon from the armory and split themselves up with most of them going out through the main entrance and the rest were equally divided to watch over the hallways. After seeing all the members run off to fight the war, Rum went to the Boss's room.

When he went inside, two other figures besides the Boss were present. "Rum," said Ano Kata in a low voice. "I see that the police have managed to get under our noses. Is there a chance that you know anything about this? I already asked these two the same question," he pointed to the other two men beside Rum.

"No, Boss. I had no idea about this. But if I find out that our men were sleeping on the job instead of watching the cameras outside and the sensors, I'll bring them to you so you can personally end them."

"Good. I have another question for you before you do so."

Rum raised an eyebrow. "What might that be, Boss?"

"Do you know where my son is?"

 **A random room…**

He just finished hiding the last of the bodies in a closet that he took out in the Cameras room. He wiped the sweat off his face when he heard footsteps outside the room he was in. He snuck a glance and he saw that it was Rum going inside the room where he was earlier. A few seconds later, he came running out of the room back to the main hall, and this made him curious. He went back and checked the televisions there. His smirk grew wider when he saw that a whole battalion of policemen have arrived at the mountain. 'This is getting more and more interesting…' he said in his mind.

Conan and Kaito carefully checked every room they came across, checking every corner to at least find more info about the syndicate or the data to APTX 4869 to create the antidote. They haven't encountered any enemies yet, but then they felt a sudden explosion that would probably change their situation. "What do you think is happening up there, Shinichi?" asked Kaito.

"I think Megure-keibu and the other teams have arrived. And since they have arrived, we need to hurry and prepare for enemies. Come on!" Once they were finished, they were about to run outside when they heard footsteps, causing them to hide on both sides of the door until the members have passed. A few seconds later, they snuck a glance outside and there were no members in sight. They headed to the next room quickly to continue their search.

Takagi-keiji and the officers with him were facing the complete opposite of Conan and Kaito's situation. He was shot in the arm and they are nearly outnumbered. He turned on his radio and called Megure-keibu. "Keibu!... No time to explain, need backup now… We're at the side entrance on the left of the mountain… Please hurry…" Takagi-keiji ended the call and grabbed his gun to continue fighting.

 **Outside the HQ…**

Megure-keibu, along with Shiratori-keibu, were in a police van, watching the battle outside of the base unfold. "Did you send already send the backup that Takagi-kun was requesting?" asked Megure.

"Hai, keibu," answered Shiratori. "Do you think we should help in the fight? We can't just let them fight on their own."

"We'll join after we defeat their defenses. And by the looks of things out here, it seems as the battle is already decided, Shiratori-kun."

Rum went back to the Boss's room, panting. "Boss, we're losing the battle. I don't know how, but there's someone or something that neutralized the men stationed to watch over our cameras and sensors. This wouldn't have happened if our men were still there." Hearing this, Ano Kata stood up, still facing away from the three men inside the room.

"What do we do, Boss?" asked a gruff voice.

"Retreat… for now. We'll be back and to the one who contributed in our defeat today… if he is one of our men, we'll bathe in his blood after I'm through with him." The three men in front of him bowed slightly before the gruff voice spoke again.

"What about your son?"

"He can take care of himself, and he'll tell me where he has gone to. Prepare the chopper, we need to leave." The three men went outside the room and went upstairs to the helipad behind the mountain, where two helicopters were stationed.

Takagi-keiji and his squad were nearly there to the main hall, as he was currently being tended by a medic to bandage up the wound on his arm.

Conan and Kaito shot two members inside the room where the drugs were made. When other men inside the room went closer to investigate, the two teens made their presence known by killing two more men. The remaining two fired at them, causing both detectives to roll out of the way. Conan noticed that two were headed for his friend, so he powered up his sneakers and kicked a nearby pestle to the head of one. Distracted, Kaito low-blowed the other. "Thanks, Shinichi," said Kaito. "That was a close one." Conan gave a thumbs-up as they started their search of data related to the drug that Ai made.

The boy saw a closet of files at the end of the room. He noticed that the shelves were in alphabetical order, but there were also some scattered on the floor. "Kaito!" he yelled, earning his friend's attention. "Help me find the data!" The former magician immediately went to Conan.

The Boss and the other two members went inside the chopper while Rum was the pilot. The Boss glared at the police surrounding the base as the helicopter took off. 'We'll be back, mark my words,' he snarled in his thoughts. 'I'll make sure that the one who helped defeat us will wish that he would just die instead of accepting my punishment. This isn't over.' Megure-keibu went outside the van and was wide-eyed when he saw a helicopter flying away from the mountain.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed. "They got away!"

Shiratori-keibu went outside as well and he saw that the battle in front of the mountain was over. "Keibu! We can now go inside!" Megure first took a glance in front of him, before he nodded. The two led the remaining policemen inside to fully capture the HQ.

Conan finally found a folder labeled, '4869', and when he looked at what's inside it, it was indeed the data behind APTX 4869. He grinned at Kaito beside him and bumped fists with him. Once he gives the data to Ai, she would advance in her research in making the antidote. Kaito's radio suddenly vibrated and he answered the call. "A few men got away, you two. A chopper outside the base just flew away but nonetheless, we have won this battle. The base is captured, mission accomplished. Out." The call ended and Conan was slightly pissed that there were still men who got away, and he suddenly assumed that it was the Boss, Vermouth, Gin, Vodka, Rum, and Tequila. However, he did feel glad that they won the battle.

He looked at the two teens in front of him. He put his hands in his coat and smirked. 'Good job, you two,' he thought. His eyes then narrowed when he looked at Conan, but returned to their normal size after a few seconds. He turned around and started to head for the door before something hit him in his neck. Before he knew it, he fell to the ground, sleeping.

Conan and Kaito walked over to the fallen man, and Conan smirked in victory as he puts his foot on the man's back. The two teens then spoke in unison. "It's time to pay for what you've done…" They looked at the man's face.

"Gin."

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"All of you should be thankful to me."**_

 _ **"You gotta be kidding me!"**_

 _ **"I'll tell you the whole story…"**_

 _ **"What do you say, Kudo-kun?"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 28: GIN'S TRUE INTENTIONS**_

* * *

 _ **There you have it! I apologize if the battle itself was boring, but I'm saving the fight scenes for the final battle! Please don't kill me if it was boring and there you have it! Gin is the mystery BO member that I'm planning to turn good! Did it surprise you? Next chapter will have his backstory (completely from my imagination) and hopefully I don't take too much time in writing it. I just hope it won't be as hard as I think it is so we can proceed back to the main story after I'm done with his story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to check my page for the full list of chapters!**_

 _ **-Lance**_


	28. Gin's True Intentions

**_I was so pissed a few days ago! I was halfway through writing this, then my saved file got corrupted and I lost it! It was certainly a good thing that I remembered the story flow from the beginning up to where I stopped, otherwise it would've been longer for me to post this chapter. As I said, this is the chapter dedicated to the rogue BO member I've been telling you about, which is surprisingly, Gin. His backstory and a few moments from his past will be told as the story progresses and will tell the reason why he joined the organization. I apologize if his reason is too shallow, but I honestly couldn't think of anything else. It was really hard to try to make him one of the good guys, because of what he has done in the anime and manga, and I didn't plan for it to be him. However, it was always Vermouth who was made one of the good guys, so I figured that a little change won't be too bad. What's more, this fanfic has officially passed 10k views! Thank you all so much for supporting me throughout the year and I promise that this will get better and better... I hope. Also, to all KaitoxAkako shippers, there is a 50% chance that those two will end up, because I have a damn friend who keeps on bugging to don't ruin Kaito and Aoko, since I already ruined ShinRan... I'm sorry about that guy, but I really don't know if they'll end up together due to him. Anyway, I have nothing else to say except thank you so see you all later!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I have been the Hokage yet I still don't own DC *cough Naruto cough*_**

* * *

As the two friends watched the unconscious Gin lying on the cold floor, Conan thought about what was happening at the moment. 'What the hell is going on?' he thought. 'Was he right there behind us? Or did he just got here? If he was there, why didn't he attack us? Or better yet, why didn't he kill us? Was he planning something? Or that he wasn't trying to kill us this time?' Conan glanced at his foe once more, and raised an eyebrow. 'Then it's best if we bring him back to the station. I know it's dangerous since he could find a way out, but that's the only way of getting some answers from him.' An image of Ai appeared in his mind. 'Wait, if I bring him there, surely Ai will know. Even if I didn't, she'd wonder where did I get this data that I found.' He then chuckled softly. 'I guess I have to roll with it, it's not like this is a secret that'll last forever. I just hope she won't be as angry as I think she'd be.'

The boy was cut off from his thoughts when two policemen came inside the room and scanned the area. When they caught sight of the two, they walked towards them until they saw Gin lying on the floor. One of them shook his body with a foot, but wasn't able to get a response. He scratched his head and looked at the two teens. "Is this guy dead?" he asked. They both shook their heads. Both officers then pulled out their guns. "Should we kill him then?"

Before Kaito could even say 'yes' to them, Conan's voice interrupted him from saying anything. "Don't kill him," Conan plainly stated, causing the former magician to widen his eyes while raising an eyebrow at his friend. "This guy is one of the most high-ranking members of the organization, we need to squeeze some answers from him. After all, Megure-keibu told us that a chopper escaped, right?" Both policemen nodded their heads. "Then we ask him questions back at the station. What's more, I have a few personal issues to talk about him." Hearing this, the two carried Gin all the way outside.

Kaito was dumbfounded with what he was seeing. Did Conan just refuse the offer to kill one of the men who shrunk him? Was he holding back? Or was there another reason? He narrowed his eyes at his friends and crossed his arms. 'What is going on in your mind right now, Shinichi?' he asked in his mind. 'Don't you want your revenge on him for shrinking you into that size?'

Conan turned around to find his friend with narrowed eyes at him. "What's the matter? Is something bothering you?"

"You're the one who's bothering me, Shinichi," he said, causing Conan to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Why would you let a highly dangerous criminal go back with us to the station? And why would you even let him live? I mean, he's one of the men who shrunk you, right?" Conan just nodded as if he was a follower of a religion. "Then why? Why would you let your chance at getting revenge slip from your hands?"

"Kaito," he began in a low voice. "I'm not a person who'll kill out of rage and vengeance. What I want is justice and what's right. I won't be able to forgive myself if I kill out of anger and neither will you. He may be one of the guys who made me like this, but if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have met Ai." Kaito's eyes widened. "Now, I'm not saying that I am grateful to him for making me like this, ok? I'm saying that if he didn't do it, I would have never found out about the Black Organization and I wouldn't have met Ai."

Realization hit the former magician's head as he nodded a few times. "Is that the only reason? I'm guessing that you still have another reason why you want to keep Gin alive."

"That's because if you try notice what just happened, he just stood behind us! He didn't make a sound or even try to aim a gun at us! He was just watching us here and don't you think that's strange?" Kaito's eyes widened again, knowing that his friend is right. "I'm so confused with what's happening right now, and that's why I want to bring him back alive. I want some answers directly from his mouth."

"But you know how dangerous that is, right? He could find a way to escape us or your girlfriend might find out about him and have a heart attack."

"I know that. And I'm planning to tell her alone and when I give her this data file. As for Gin, I'll make sure he doesn't escape us. If he does, I'm blaming myself for it." Kaito finally nodded as he agreed to what Conan wants. "Come on, let's go, Megure-keibu might be looking for us."

Takagi-keiji stood outside a police van, waiting for the remaining men inside to get back. He saw two men carrying a man headed inside. Before they could, he stepped in their way. "Why are you two carrying a body and where are you taking him?" he asked.

"The two kids told us that this one is important," one of the officers said and Takagi's eyes widened. "They wanted to bring this guy back to the station so they could interrogate him. Should we let it?"

'I don't know what you're planning, Kudo-kun,' Takagi said in his thoughts. 'But knowing you and how dangerous this organization is, I'm sure this man will be of use to us!' He turned to the two policemen and nodded, before stepping aside to let them bring Gin inside.

Not too long after that, Conan and Kaito caught up and went inside the van. They saw Gin handcuffed while on a sitting position and they also saw that Takagi was the driver. He looked behind at everyone who was inside the van. "Are there any men of ours left in the HQ?" Seeing none speak up, he continued. "Did any of you forget something in the HQ?" Again, none spoke up. He then started the van and called Megure-keibu through his radio. "Keibu! We are leaving the area! You can now set off the charges, sir!"

Megure, who was currently sitting inside a chopper behind the mountain, received Takagi's message and nodded at two policemen sitting behind him. The two looked at each other before the one who was holding a remote pressed a red button, causing the HQ underneath the mountain to be buried in rock and snow until the end of time.

Inside the van, the two teens could feel the shaking ground and they felt victorious right now. Sure, some members of the organization managed to escape the battle, and they just hoped that it would only be rogue members like the Dragon Syndicate. They executed a fist bump before the both of them took out their phones to talk with their friends and loved ones back home.

 **Four hours later, Beika Hospital...**

Conan and Kaito pushed the hospital doors open with a yawn. They had just been dropped off there by a patrol car. Conan checked the time on his watch and saw that it was 1:36 in the morning. They knew that they should be sleeping right now since fighting the organization took a toll out of them, but they needed to inform Heiji of what has happened. When they were in front of Heiji's room, Kaito opened the door and when they saw the Osakan detective, they quickly waved their hands in greeting. However, things did not go well for the former magician, as he was first greeted by a punch to the arm by none other than Aoko Nakamori. "Aoko!" he hissed in pain. "What the hell?!"

"Hmph!" she scoffed and turned around with her arms crossed. "That's what you get for making me worry! You and this kid were gone for nearly two days without even telling me where you've been! Where did you two go, anyway?" She turned around slightly.

Kaito glanced at Conan for a second, whom he hoped has an excuse ready for the two of them, but the boy just shrugged and looked away, leaving the former magician on his own. So he said the first thing that came to his mind. "W-we went back t-to the mansion! You know, I kind of miss okaa-san and I f-figured that this k-kid wanted to come along!"

"All right, I get it. But I'm still mad at you." The next thing that happened was Ran and Kazuha, who were sitting next to Heiji's bed, smirked at each other.

"THEY LIIIIIKKKKEEE EACH OTHER!" they teased, causing Aoko's eyes to widen in surprise. Kaito, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all and just kept a calm look on his face.

"I DON'T LIKE HIM THAT WAY! WE'RE JUST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS!" Aoko plainly stated with a deep crimson face. Upon hearing these words, Kaito looked down on the floor as sadness took over him. So she just thinks of him as a friend? What happened to her sweet attitude towards him? Does this mean she doesn't like him at all? "Kaito, right? We're just friends, right?" Kaito looked up again to see Aoko flashing an embarrassed grin and she was hoping he would cooperate. The former magician flashed a grin in response which Conan and Heiji immediately finding out that it was fake. They felt bad for their friend and they could just hope that he didn't take what Aoko said seriously.

A few minutes later, it was now quiet inside the room. They thought it would take forever, but getting the three girls to leave the room was easier than they thought. They just had to tell them to hang out or eat at a restaurant and then the next thing they knew, they were already out of the room. Kaito still felt down from what Aoko said, as he was still looking down on his feet while sitting beside Heiji's bed. Heiji decided to try and cheer him up. "Kuroba, don't feel too down, all right?" he said with a comforting smile. "Kazuha and I were like that before, but we didn't feel down at all! I'm sure she didn't mean it, in fact, I think she actually feels something for you!" A loud stomp on the floor reverberated around the whole room. Suddenly, solence took over.

Half a minute later, Kaito finally spoke. "I'm sick and tired of hearing people say that she has feelings for me!" he exclaimed with tears threatening to fall from his eyes any second. "I want to hear her say it! From her mouth! I want her to admit or confess her feelings for me personally! I don't want to ask her out because I'm afraid that it'll ruin our friendship if she rejects me. But I'm not known as a patient guy! I give up as well!" An image of Akako appeared in his head. "I'm having feelings for someone else too, but I don't want to make a move on her without fully confirming Aoko's feelings! Then again, I'm not a patient guy; that's why, if she still doesn't admit her real feelings for me until the next month, I'm giving up on her. It's for the best, anyways. But I hope that our friendship will still live on, I want to stay friends with her until I die." His tears didn't fall, yet he was weeping so hard on the inside. As a sign of comfort, Conan patted him on the shoulder.

"It's all right, Kaito. Whether Aoko-san confesses or not, we'll always be here for you. As your best friends." Kaito warmly smiled at him, and Heiji suddenly thrusted out his fist.

"Come on, let's go for a Frienship Fists!" he said. Kaito and Conan looked at each other for a moment, before settling their eyes back at Heiji.

"Friendship Fists?" asked Kaito.

"It's a name I came up with for our fist bumping so that it'll be easier. Now come on, my hand is waiting!" Conan and Kaito grinned as they accepted the three-way fist bump. (*The Shield from WWE*) After their fists were connected for what seemed like a minute, they pulled back with a wide grin on their faces.

"Now that's settled," Heiji said as he leaned back on his bed. "Why don't you two tell me about what happened at Mt. Fuji? From the looks of things, because you two aren't weeping right now, I'm gonna have to say that we won the fight."

"We did, Heiji." Upon hearing these words from Kaito, Heiji's eyes shot open. The look on his face probably said, 'Seriously?!' so Kaito chuckled first before answering again. "Yeah, we beat the organization." Heiji was practically doing a victory dance in his mind right now, because the syndicate that has been causing them a pain in the neck has finally been brought down and they could finally live in peace.

"However, a helicopter managed to escape." The Osakan detective's victory dance was cut off as his eyes widened. So he was wrong? The organization was still alive? The war still isn't over? He leaned a bit closer to the both of them, wanting to listen to the whole story.

"You've gotta be kidding me! Are you saying that some members managed to escape?" Kaito nodded. Heiji grit his teeth. "But it was only one chopper, right?" Kaito nodded once more. Heiji sighed in relief. "Man, I thought a dozen helicopters would be coming after me in the morning... So is there anything else you want to tell me?" Conan was the one who spoke up this time.

"While Kaito and I were searching one of the rooms under the mountain -" Heiji cut him off with a quick question.

"What do you mean, 'under the mountain'?"

"Their HQ was under Mt. Fuji, okay? It was a huge underground bunker with lots of rooms, so no wonder they could be seen rarely in the streets." Heiji nodded and went back to his sitting position earlier. "As I was saying, while Kaito and I were checking one of the rooms, we found a data file containing information about APTX 4869."

"Kudo, that's great news! Where is it?"

"It's at the station, I'll get it in the morning when the sun's up." The Osakan detective nodded in response, prompting the boy to continue. "While Kaito and I were checking the data file, Gin was standing behind us." Heiji's eyes widened to the size of mini saucers. Did he just hear him right? Did he just say that Gin was standing behind them while they were busy checking out the data file?

"Wait, if he was right behind you two, how are you still alive? Not that I'm offending you two, but knowing the guy, wasn't he supposed to kill you? Are you sure that he was just standing behind you two?" Kaito cleared his throat.

"That's the thing, Heiji. That was what weirded us out the most. Considering his demonic personality, he should've shot us while we had our guard down. But he didn't. He even tried to walk away from us!" Heiji couldn't believe what he was hearing. The most dangerous member of the organization didn't do anything at all right when his two friends were just there? There might be a mistake with their theory.

"When he was about to walk away," Conan began. "I managed to get him with my tranquilizer. In case you're wondering, he's not dead." These words made Heiji's eyes widen even further. "He's at the station right now, and that's why we're heading there later on, we're going to get some answers from his mouth. I know you're probably wondering why I didn't kill him; you see, I'm not a person who'll kill out of rage or anger, and I -" Heiji's voice stopped him from talking.

"Won't be able to forgive myself if I killed a person out of range," he finished. "I get it, okay? I was just surprised that you let him live considering what he did to you a year ago." (P.S. It has been a year since Conan shrunk to a child here)

Kaito yawned as he stood up while flexing his arms. "Well, good night, Heiji. Shinichi and I have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Good thing there were pillows behind their backs, so he took it and placed it behind his head, with Conan doing the same thing. Before he could lean his head back to sleep, Heiji's voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Wait a second, you two!" he exclaimed. Conan and Kaito's eyes shot open when he spoke. "I'll come with you two tomorrow." Sensing that they'll say something to make him stay, Heiji pushed forward. "The doctors here already told me that I could leave in the morning, and that I am now fully recovered. Don't even dare to try and say that I can't come, otherwise I'll be kicking you two to jail."

"Of course, Hattori." Heiji warmly smiled at Conan before the boy spoke again. "Now get some sleep before the girls find us awake and do weird things to the three of us." Conan and Kaito leaned back on their pillows as they let the sleep take over them. After all, they spent the whole day fighting the organization so they deserved the rest. Heiji lied down on his bed and closed his eyes, getting excited for the events that would happen in the morning.

 **9:36 A.M.**

"Man, it feels so good to be back out here!" exclaimed Heiji as he inhaled the fresh air of the outside world. The three managed to slip away from Ran and Kazuha earlier when they were planning to go home to the agency. Aoko left early since she was just in Beika for the sole purpose of knowing Kaito's whereabouts. Heiji missed being out in the open, so he has been energetic since breaking away from Ran and Kazuha. Conan and Kaito were getting annoyed with every sound he makes.

"Heiji, if you make one more sound," warned Kaito. "I guarantee you that you'll be back at the hospital in a minute."

"What's the problem, Kuroba? You sound like a guy that hasn't slept for two days!"

"The problem is you, Hattori," snarled Conan. "I'm getting annoyed with your silly antics and we aren't going to the station for your jokes, we're here to find out the truth, so stop acting like a child..."

"Come on, you guys... It's been a while since I've been out here and to be fair, you two got to fight the damn organization a few days ago. Let me have my fun, okay?"

Conan groaned. "Fine, fine, just keep your voice down. We're nearly there so you better stop with your antics and just play along with us." Heiji just shrugged his shoulders as they continued on their way.

When they reached the station, the first room that the trio headed for was the room where they had the meeting for the fight against the organization, and it was a good thing Kaito remembered how to get there. When the former magician opened the door to the room, he saw Takagi, Megure, and Shiratori sitting on separate chairs facing each other. He assumed that they were having an important meeting at the moment, so he closed the door out of embarrassment, but before he could, it was fully open for them. Megure-keibu was standing in front of them. "Oh, Kuroba-kun!" he exclaimed. "I thought it was somebody else." The inspector snuck a glance behind the teen, showing Heiji and Conan. "I see Hattori-kun and Kudo-kun are here as well?" Heiji's eyes widened because of what he said. He turned to Conan and knelt down.

"You told him who you are, Kudo?" Conan nodded. Heiji sighed. "Who else knows about your secret here?"

"Every police officer here." He heard Heiji clicking his tongue after what he said as he stood up again.

"I just hope that you know what you're doing, Kudo. You know that I trust you way too much. Do you understand?" Conan nodded and just as Heiji turned his attention back to Kaito, he was already heading inside the room, causing the two to react quickly and went inside as well.

When all three settled down in a chair opposite to the three policemen, Megure-keibu was the first to talk. "I assume that you three know why you're here today?" The trio nodded at the same time. "The BO member that you managed to capture, Gin is in one of the interrogation rooms upstairs." When his eyes caught the image of Heiji, he raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hattori-kun, why are you here, by the way? I certainly remember that you weren't with us a few days ago, and this is highly classified information."

Hearing these words made Heiji sweat-drop. Veins were popping on his head as he turned to his two friends, who had embarrassed grins on their faces. 'So you two didn't bother to tell them that I am involved in all of this?' he said in his thoughts. 'Oh, you two are going to pay after this…' He shifted his attention back to Megure. "Keibu, I know everything about this matter since the beginning. I know that this gaki here is Kudo and I know about the Black Organization. I wasn't with you a few days ago because I was still a the hospital, recovering from my injuries. I have every right to be involved in this."

This time, it was Shiratori-keibu who spoke up. "Very well, if you three would follow us, we'll lead you upstairs to Gin. And be sure to have your questions ready, time is running, and we certainly don't want to waste time, do we?" The trio shook their heads as the three policemen stood up and walked outside the door. The teens followed them shortly with a lot of things in their mind right now.

 **Gin's POV:**

 _"Be strong, my little boy."_

Who's speaking? I can't see anything but where the hell did that voice come from?

 _"You are not like him."_

No… no, it's happening again! These memories that remind me of her! What happened? The last thing I remember was walking out the door of the lab at the HQ, then everything went black.

 _"No matter what you do, I will always love you."_

GAH! Make it stop! I can't bear to hear her voice again! It has been 4 months since I last thought about her, but why is she suddenly back in my mind?! I can't think straight whenever I think of her! Ever since she passed away, I couldn't let her words leave me, but why is it like it's repeating over and over in my head?! Is she trying to tell me something?

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door being opened. Am I still at the HQ? I sure hope not. I'd rather die than be back at that mud hole.

I tried to open my eyes slowly and the first thing I saw was a light bulb. Due to how bright it was, I looked away for a moment and blinked a few times to get used to it. Wait a minute, why does it feel like that my head is the only part of my body which I can move right now? What the hell? I looked at my whole body, my hands were tied behind the chair that I'm sitting on, but other than that, nothing else was restrained.

I scanned the area around me. I was inside a small room, not too small, but not too big as well. The door was open, and three kids went inside.

These two, I know them! That kid with the glasses and the one with the messy hair. But who's the black guy? Must be their friend. Have I been caught? Tch, anything's better than being at HQ. What are these brats doing here anyway?

"It's useless, Gin," said the boy with glasses. What the heck is he talking about? "We defeated the organization and there's nowhere left for you to hide. The only thing we need to do now is capture or kill the rest of your comrades, and everything will be back to the way it was."

"HAHA… HAHAHAHAHA… HAHAHAHAHAHA…" I started to laugh maniacally. Who does this kid think he's fooling? I couldn't be more happier to hear those words! And even if I am held captive by the police, I'll just find a way to escape and go into hiding! I better make my point clear before they get the wrong impression. "So all of you managed to defeat the organization and this is the thanks I get?!" I spoke in a cocky but low voice. I see that my plan is working when I saw the confused look on their faces. I better tell them the truth, otherwise they'll never bring down the organization with false expectations.

"What the hell are you talking about?" the messy-haired kid said. "What do you mean we should thank you?"

I grinned mischievously. "Why, all of you should be thankful to me!" The three brat's eyes widened. "If it wasn't for me, your forces would've never gotten past the HQ's sensors!" Their eyes widened even more, and I smirked at their reaction.

"There were actually sensors there?!" said a voice in the room, it didn't come from the brats, and it could've come from a speaker here.

"Are you saying that you let us enter the base?!" said the kid with glasses. I grinned evilly to show my response. "W-why?! Why did you let us inside the base?! You're our enemy!"

I smirked at them. "Consider it hitting two birds with one stone, you brats… I wanted the organization to be brought down, and you did too… so I took out the men stationed at the cameras so that all of you would complete my goal for me!" I glared at them. Actually, their faces makes me want to laugh right now, their eyes and mouth makes them a sight worth seeing! But I won't let mere things bug me in keeping a stern and serious look.

"A-are you t-telling me that y-you just h-helped us?" asked the dark brat. These brats just don't get it. Wait, if I tell them the truth, they'd know about her. I don't want them to know, but what I want more than anything is to bring that damn organization. I guess I could tell them the truth, considering it's for the best.

"If it's not obvious, yes I did! I want that damn syndicate gone for good! I never want to see its members again! Why do you think I didn't shoot you two when you were at HQ?" I shifted my gaze to the two brats I met at Mt. Fuji. "I was just there to make a simple congratulations on a job well done, but you got me and brought me back here! Well, since I'm here, I might as well tell you my reasons… it may help you in taking them down." I finished with a smirk, then dark brat and the one with messy hair narrowed their eyes, but the kid with glassed kept a stern look.

"What do you say, Kudo-kun?" The speaker again! It looks like they are depending on that kid's answer, but why? It's not like he is the boss around here… Kudo… I've heard of that name before… I can't put my finger on it… Rrrrr, I'll think about it later, I need to focus right now…

The boy walked towards me and stared at me directly in the eyes, it's as if he was trying to intimidate me, but it ain't gonna work on me…

"I don't see any reason why we shouldn't listen to him, keibu." My eyes widen slightly. He's actually willing to know? You know, kid… letting your guard down even for a second can spell trouble for you, but I'm kind of impressed with your courage… Trusting a criminal that easily… Okay, let's get this over with.

"Tch, I never expected you would be trusting me that easily," I spoke, looking away at the three brats in front of me. I snuck a glance at the boy, and he still had that serious look on his face. "Fine, I'll tell you the whole story…"

 **Flashback (20 years ago)**

 _I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. Being seventeen years old is not that easy, you know. I mean, I have to wake up early almost everyday, make breakfast for myself, lock up the house, then go to the university, survive there for 8 hours, go home, eat, then sleep early. America is a hard place to live in, I only have my classmates to keep me company. Tou-san is busy with his 'job' if I recall him telling me. Kaa-san is at the local hospital, in a coma._

 _It's saddening to say the kaa-san was involved in a hit-and-run incident two months ago, and it was a good thing that tou-san managed to send enough money for her hospital bills. She was always the light of my world ever since childhood because tou-san was rarely there for me. Even if I was an only child. I visit her every Sunday of the week, always praying that she'd finally wake up. But tou-san told me to continue on my studies, because he was sure that kaa-san will be okay._

 _I headed downstairs to the kitchen to prepare myself some noodles since I was too lazy to even cook food. While I was waiting for the water to boil, I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My blonde hair was so messed up cause I haven't been sleeping well for the entire week. Maybe it was because of kaa-san's words last Sunday. It was a miracle she woke up that time, and I felt that a huge boulder has just been lifted off my chest at that time. However, she slipped back into a coma again aftera few minutes, but not before saying three sentences to me._

 _"Be strong, my little boy."_

 _"You are not like him."_

 _"No matter what you do, I will always love you."_

 _What did she mean with those words? And who was she talking about? I shouldn't be like who? Well, it doesn't matter right now._

 _I washed my face with soap and rinsed all the water away, making me completely awake. I went back to the kitchen and saw that the water was boiling. I added in the noodles and began stirring it thoroughly. My phone rang at the same time, and I know I couldn't ignore a phone call at the moment, so I took it out of my pocket and looked at the number that called me. It didn't seem familiar, but I answered the call and put in on loudspeaker. "Hello?" I asked as I put my phone nearer to my ear. "Who's this?"_

 _"Murakami Gintaro," the receiver answered. "We're calling from the hospital." Hope suddenly filled my eyes that okaa-san has finally woke up! My heart was doing backflips inside of my chest!_

 _"Did okaa-san wake up?" I asked excitedly. "Can I see her?" However, the next words hit me like a ton of bricks. My eyes widened as if they were flying saucers. Shock completely took over me, and it got me to drop the tongs I'm using into the boiling water."_

 _"Your mother has been murdered."_

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here...**_

 _ **"Your tou-san killed her?"**_

 _ **"Let's give him a chance."**_

 _ **"How could you?!"**_

 _ **"Why did you need to hide it from us?"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 29: FRIEND OR FOE**_

* * *

 _ **P.S. Gin's age in his flashback is 17 years old. If we add 20 years to that, it would mean that he's 37 years old in this fanfic. Stay tuned for the next chapter, guys!**_

 _ **-Lance**_


	29. Friend or Foe

_**Guys, I should have said something to all of you a long time ago! This fanfic is actually divided into arcs! Now before you run around in circles and kill me, hear me out. There are five arcs in this fanfic, and here they are:**_

 _ **Chapters 1-12: Mystery arc**_

 _ **Chapters 13-18: Power Arc**_

 _ **Chapters 19-30: Change arc**_

 _ **Chapters 31-41: Revenge arc**_

 _ **Chapters 42-50: Truth arc**_

 _ **Now, if you guys view my FB page, you can link the chapters to the arcs. Anyways, here is the continuation from the last chapter's flashback, where Gin found out that his mother was killed. I understand if most of you can't imagine Gin to be a good guy, so if I'm the first to make him one, then it's an achievement for me. I know that he is evil in the manga and anime but I have already completed the overall plot of this fanfic and I'm not planning on making any changes. Give the man a chance, will you? I have discussed the plot with my good friend, FroodleSoup and she said that it was near perfect with a nice ending. So here are the few things you guys need to take note of, in case you forgot.**_

 _ **1 – Gin is turning into a good guy**_

 _ **2 – One of the main characters will die**_

 _ **3 – Ran will have a happy ending**_

 _ **4 – There is no smut in this fanfic**_

 _ **5 – KaitoxAkako has been confirmed in this story**_

 _ **Well, I guess that's it! My birthday is next month at November 20 and I might not be able to update quick, but I'll try my best. Heck, I might even post two chapters at the same time to say thanks! But who knows? Still, thank you guys for supporting me! The days go by so fast and I hope you read until the end!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Ran out of ideas… I don't own DC and I never will...**_

* * *

 _I blinked a few times, repeating what the nurse said inside my head over and over. She's… gone? No, this can't be true! She can't leave me at a time like this! My breathing started to become erratic as I opened my mouth to speak again. "Whoever you are, I don't have the time to play games and this isn't the right time to make jokes! I'm visiting the hospital anyway so I'll see kaa-san again. Goodbye!" I finished with a growl. I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe that kaa-san died. She can't die at a time like this! She's too important to me! But what is concerning me more right now is how angry I can be. I looked around the kitchen and I saw that I made a huge mess when I heard that kaa-san died._

 _Uncooked noodles were sprawled on the floor, the utensils we had were thrown to nearly every direction when I turned around. Almost all the food in the refrigerator was ruined, maybe because I went on a rampage earlier. What the hell? I shouldn't have done this, because I didn't want to believe that kaa-san passed away. Yet there was something in my brain that was telling me to just give in and mourn for her. But I'll never give up hope. I'm going to the hospital and prove to the world that my mother ISN'T dead!_

 _Before I went out the door, the whole set of knives in the kitchen, sixteen to be exact, were sticking on the walls in the living room and kitchen. It's as if the walls were dartboards. I cover my mouth with my hand in shock and disbelief. How could I have done this? Was it because I was angry that someone talked to me about kaa-san dying? Or was it for some other reason? I shook my head to get it out of my thoughts for a while or maybe a few hours. I need to go to the hospital anyway. After making sure that all the doors were secure and that I have the key with me, I went out._

 _I knew that the hospital wasn't that far, so I kept calm and took my time to walk there. But with every second passing, various images of kaa-san lying dead in her hospital bed appeared in my head. Soon, walking turned to jogging, which turned to running, and then to sprinting. The entrance door was burst open as I ran to every nurse I could find, with the same question going to everyone of them. I'd ask, "Where is Murakami Hiroko?" and the nurse would just shake her head. When I was done with the first floor, I headed up and it was a miracle that every patient's room had a sign outside the door. As soon as I saw two police officers outside a room at the far end of the hallway, I made a run for it. I was about to go inside the room when one of them prevented me._

 _"Who are you, son?" asked one of them._

 _"I'm Murakami Hiroko's son! You gotta let me in! I need to see her!" My voice was getting desperate. When I felt them release both my arms, I went inside. The sight before me was too much that I want to commit suicide to join her. I was too late. Her body was already covered in a large white cloth._

 _Tears kept flowing out of my eyes as I took a few steps forward, beside her bed. I grasped the cloth covering her head shakily, as I glanced at the policemen outside. They nodded and I pulled back the cloth, revealing the face that I'll never be able to see again. I continued to cry in the sheets, letting all the sadness I felt during that time. Why did she have to die?! She wasn't feeling ill a week ago nor did she tell me that she was feeling out of the weather! My mind suddenly recalled a certain something that the nurse was telling me earlier._

 _"Your mother has been murdered."_

 _Rage boiled inside me. I grasped the sheets so tight that I could almost tear it to pieces. So she was murdered?! I swear that I'll make that bastard pay! I'll make sure that he suffers the same pain that I am feeling today! But those thoughts were at the back of my mind right now, cause I was too busy crying my eyes out._

 _A few days later, tou-san went back to the house. The first thing he did was going to the university I go to and talk to my teachers about excusing me for a few days because of kaa-san's funeral. That afternoon, he gathered only a few family members to attend the funeral. My grandparents, and a few cousins of mine are some. Tou-san always preferred less people than a whole crowd, so I understood why. The tears from my eyes kept flowing my eyes the whole time that I needed to use a handkerchief to muffle my screams of sadness._

 _After the funeral, I saw tou-san calling out to me from his car. Well, I'm not exactly in the mood right now to argue so I ran straight to him. "I need to talk to you, get in."_

 _"B-but the funeral isn't over yet…" I said in a confused tone._

 _"This is important. It's about who killed your mother." Hearing those last four words from his mouth changed. I pursed my lips in a straight line as I went inside the vehicle. I had nothing on my mind right except for finding the man or the people responsible for kaa-san's death. What's happening to me? It's like I don't care what happens to me as long as I would get my revenge. I sat inside and crossed my arms, tou-san went in next and started the car._

 _"Where are we going?" He looked at the rearview mirror and cleared his throat._

 _"Starbucks. We'll talk there." I brought out my phone and just texted my classmates about not being able to attend classes for the past week._

 _When we got to the nearest Starbucks, tou-san ordered two cappuccinos for the both of us. I kept a serious look on my face the whole time. I was just looking at the table with my arms crossed. Kaa-san's death still hit me like a ton of bricks. "Son," I hear him say. I looked at him only with my eyes, which made it seem like I was angry. "I have spoken to the police. It seems that a member of a notorious syndicate is the one who killed your mother." I looked down on the ground again._

 _"Do you have an idea what he looks like?" I snarled._

 _"No, the police have no idea."_

 _"Do you know what's the name of the syndicate that bastard is in?"_

 _"I'm sorry, we don't know as well." I narrowed my eyes at him. "But they may be connected to the crimes that have been happening throughout America." He then crossed his arms and looked to the side. I know what he's trying to do. He always does this when he's deep in thought. What is he planning?_

 _"Tou-san, what are you thinking? I know that you're up to something when you look like that." A waiter then served our coffees and while I was pouring my creamer into the drink, he spoke._

 _"I'm thinking of a way to avenge your mother. I can't let those sons of bitches get away with this!" For some reason, I grinned evilly as I drank my coffee. It's as if I want to join him, but do I? He then looked around him, and stared at me again. He leaned a bit closer and with his index finger, beckoned me to lean closer as well. "Son, I'm gonna tell you something, okay?" I nodded. "You have to promise me that you will not speak of this to anyone, not even your friends or other members of the family. This is between you and I only, is that clear?"_

 _I was too lost in my thoughts that I almost didn't know what was going on, so I just nodded. "You want to get back at the people who killed your mother, right?"_

 _As soon as I heard that question, I felt rage boiling inside me. Yes, yes, that is what I want! What I want is to make those people suffer! To make them feel the pain that I'm feeling right now! I was getting too eager that I nodded so many times that tou-san actually held my head to keep me still. "Here it is. I'm…"_

 **End of Flashback**

"He then told me that he was the boss of an organization that will help in finding the culprit of kaa-san's murder," I continued. I snuck a glance at the three brats and they had various expressions on their faces as I told them my story. I narrowed my eyes. "Of course, he was talking about the Black Organization." That last line of mine must have hit them so hard, the kid with glasses fell to his knees. I raised my eyebrow at them. "What did I say? It seems my words had an impact on you?"

"You're telling me," the boy began. "That you're the son of the boss of the BO?"

I smirked. "Surprised?"

"If you're his son, then why did you betray him? Why did you betray the organization?" The messy-haired kid asked.

I scoffed first. I didn't like going back to this memory, it felt too painful inside. "Four months after Vermouth came back to Japan, nightmares of kaa-san started to haunt me. It has been twenty years since she died, and it suddenly came to me. Where was the people who killed her? Were they dead? I've been doing nothing but support the BO because of my goal to exact revenge, but were the people who killed kaa-san still alive? I've been blinded by the happiness I get in my evil ways that I forgot my dead mother. I decided to ask tou-san about it. One night, when I went to his office, he wasn't there. I decided to just go back when he arrives but then his laptop started playing a video. I was curious and I went to his table to watch it. It was a CCTV footage of the day my mother died. After I watched it, I finally knew who was the one who killed kaa-san."

"Who killed your mother?" said the same voice through the speaker in the room.

"My father." Gasps filled the room, and I'm pretty sure I heard the three as well. Oh, what a good time to laugh at their expressions right now, but I'm going to stay serious until this ends. "After I knew the truth," I continued. "I cried for the next hour in my room and I cursed myself for being an idiot for so long. I was fooled into being a criminal because of my desire for revenge."

"Your tou-san killed her?" The dark brat asked. "Your mother?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I don't like to repeat myself."

"Continue," said the voice through the speaker.

"That's pretty much it. I vowed to bring the organization down from the inside and let the authorities deal with them while I go into hiding until it's safe. You saw how I acted at Mt. Fuji, I took out the base's sensors which led you to defeat them easily. Too bad I wasn't able to make my escape."

"Then who set up the CCTV video in your father's laptop? It's not as if he left it there for you to see."

"I don't know and I don't care. The only thing I care about is bringing the organization down. I don't know what reason my father had to kill my mother, but I don't care as long as I see his dead body. That's all that you're getting from me."

"I see," said the voice again. "The reason you helped us take the organization down was for revenge?" I nodded. "Do you know that some members have escaped the base before we completely took over it?" I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't care even if a dozen members escape! Besides, all of you are going to destroy them for me, so I don't need to worry! However, the organization is, I have to admit, tough to beat so if you want to, I can lend you a hand in doing so." I smirked as the three kids in front of me shot their eyes open.

"What makes you think we'll let you help us after all that you did?!" the dark kid said. "You know, I'm still doubting everything that you told us, it might be a trick. But even if you're telling the truth, don't –" Another voice stopped him. I looked to see who it was.

"Hattori, that's enough," said the kid with glasses. What does he want? "I say we give him a chance." I raised an eyebrow while I heard gasps reverberating around the room. What does that kid have in mind? He then walked straight to me while I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. He stared at me coldly and I was starting to wonder if he is really a kid. He stopped walking directly in front of me and just stared at me in the eyes.

"You know kid, it's dangerous to trust a criminal. I might even stab you all in the back when I have the chance." He just kept on staring, that made me think that he is no ordinary brat. "You should just leave this matter to the older people."

"Do you know who I am?" What is this kid saying? Is he making fun of me?

"What kind of nonsense are you asking me? You're asking me if I know you, yet this is the first time we have spoken to each other! I don't have the time to play games, gaki."

"You don't recognize me? Not even my appearance?"

Wait, now that he mentioned it, he does look kind of familiar. I can't put my finger on it, but his face seems awkwardly familiar to me. "You kind of look like somebody that I met before, but now, I can't really remember. Have we?"

"I'm kind of sad that you didn't remember me. We just met in a cruise ship a month ago!" What is he talking about? My memory isn't very good at all, so I tend to forget things easily. "You didn't remember the guy that you met at a rollercoaster? You didn't remember the guy that you knocked out from behind?" Wait, things are starting to click now. Wait, don't tell me he's!...

"You don't remember the high-school detective that you wanted to kill? You didn't remember Kudo Shinichi?!" He pointed to himself, and I was in disbelief, but I hid it all behind a serious look. He's Kudo Shinichi?! If he's that detective brat that I met back at the rollercoaster at Tropical Land, how did he turn into a kid? And why isn't he dead? I'm pretty sure I killed him that night.

"So you're actually alive even after I shot you? Congratulations on surviving." I scoffed. "I don't know what happened to you to stay alive during that time at the amusement park and I certainly don't want to know. What's weird is, you suddenly shrunk. Sherry sure made a weird drug." Hearing Ai's codename in the BO made Conan flinch a bit. "Going back to what I said earlier, it's dangerous to trust a criminal that easily. I could betray your side anytime, so why would you trust me that easily."

 **Normal POV:**

"I don't care about what you did in the past," Conan stated. "What we need is more allies to defeat the BO, and if you can lend a hand, it's more than welcome."

Gin snorted and looked away. "Whatever."

"Keibu! The interrogation is done!" Conan went back to his two friends, only to find the two of them raising an eyebrow at him with their arms crossed. "What?"

"Do you have any idea what you're doing, Shinichi?" asked Kaito. Conan raised an eyebrow. "You just placed your trust in a person we considered an enemy! Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"Taku, calm down. It's not like I fully trust him. Of course, I still doubt his allegiance and his story earlier. But what's important right now is the BO's downfall, okay?"

"Kudo, I don't know what's gotten into your little brain," said Heiji. "But if in case, something terrible happens and it involves that man right there, you're taking responsibility for it." Conan nodded. "All right, I'll support you in your decision, now let's head back, I'm starving." Before Heiji could reach for the door, it already opened. The sight of three people made the detectives gasp.

"Look at that, we have company," said Gin. The door fully opened, revealing Ai, Kazuko, and Ryuuichi. The scientist first had an annoyed look on her face on seeing Conan, but when she turned her eyes to the other man in the room, who was restrained in a chair, she was so shocked that she slowly backed away, but tripped. Ryuuichi and Kazuko looked at her face while the three detectives had various expressions on their faces. Gin raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what was the problem.

Seeing Gin was too much for her. Small tears escaped from her wide eyes and she covered her mouth with her hands. She got back to her feet and ran away, she didn't care where she would end up, as long as she would be away from the man who killed her sister.

The six people inside the room were left hanging. Ryuuichi broke the silence. "Edogawa-kun, what the hell is going on?"

Before Conan could open, Gin's cold voice stopped him. "Hey, brat," Conan turned to him. "Who was that girl? She looks awkwardly familiar." Realizing that Ai might get in trouble if he doesn't go after her, he turned to his two best friends.

"You two," he said, earning Kaito and Heiji's attention. "Explain everything to them. I'm going after Ai." The two nodded and with that, the boy ran off to search for his beloved scientist.

He headed to the park first, thinking that it's the place where Ai went the last time she cried, but she wasn't there. Conan then went for his second best option, her house. Panting heavily as he opened the gate, he hoped that she would be there as he didn't know how much longer he would last and who knows how far she has gone right now. He sat for a few moments at the tree there, before going to the front door and knocked slowly. 'Please be here, please be here,' he continuously said in his mind.

A few moments later, the door slightly opened and the boy silently cheered for himself because it was indeed Ai. "Hey, beautiful," he said with an embarrassed grin.

The door fully opened with force. "Don't 'hey, beautiful' me," she snarled. "You've got some explaining to do." She flashed her emotionless mask and Conan internally groaned.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He looked down on the ground and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I felt that it was the right thing to do."

Keeping her signature look on, she crossed her arms. "I'm mad at you."

Conan sighed. "I know."

"Do you know why?"

"Because I brought Gin here."

"No, I'm not mad at you for that. I'm mad at you for not showing up for three days, not answering my messages calls, and for worrying me! I was so scared that something might have happened to you these past few days, just so you know…"

Conan's eyes shot open. 'She's not…' he thought. He looked up at her with an eyebrow raised. "Wait, you're not angry that I brought Gin here?"

"No," she looked away and blushed slightly, trying to keep her emotionless face visible. "I figured something like this would happen anyway."

Suddenly, the boy was overcome with relief and he felt that his heart has been lifted. "You're really an amazing girlfriend, Ai." He stepped forward and hugged her. As much as she loved getting embraced and liked to be in his arms, letting him do what he wants would be out of character for her, so she reluctantly pushed him away.

"Don't push your luck, mister. I'm still angry at you."

Feeling calmer now, Conan spoke again. "So if you're not angry about Gin being here, then why did you run away from the station earlier?"

"I was just shocked. I didn't expect to see him too soon, considering what happened during our vacation to Hawaii. Come in, we have to talk about it." Ai first went to the kitchen while Conan sat on the couch. "I made us some tea," she stated. She came back with two cups of tea and set it down on the table in front of the boy while settling down on the opposite couch. Taking a sip from her cup, she felt relieved from her shock earlier. "So why is Gin here in Beika? Did you somehow manage to capture him?"

Taking a sip from his own cup, he first took a deep breath. "A few days ago, I was gone because I was in Mt. Fuji."

"And what were you doing there?"

"The BO's HQ is there, and we went there." Ai widened her eyes slightly. "Anyway, while we were there, Kaito and Ai circled around the mountain, and we found an entrance in the side. The weird thing was, the BO had incredible sensors, yet they were awfully quiet… because of that advantage, we had the victory, but a few members escaped with a chopper."

Ai narrowed her eyes. "And Gin was the one who disabled the sensors?" Conan nodded. "He told you that earlier?" Conan nodded once again. "I'm sure he has a reason why he did it, but I don't want to know about it. I don't trust him and I never will. He has already caused enough trouble for me. You can do whatever you want to bring down the organization, but don't expect me to trust Gin. I've worked with him while with the BO, and he's an evil person."

"You can't give him a chance?"

"Why would I? He killed onee-chan. He almost killed the two of us during the trip to Hawaii. How many reasons do I have to list?"

Conan noticed something different with his girlfriend. She doesn't seem afraid anymore to talk about Gin and Akemi, which made him proud of her. "You know, you've changed."

"What are you talking about?"

Conan shrugged his shoulders. "Usually, you're afraid to talk about Akemi and Gin, but now you're not. What's gotten into you?"

Ai warmly smiled as she stood up and walked over to him. She sat on his lap and stared at him directly in the eyes, with Conan blushing a bit because of the position they are in right now. "You changed me, Shinichi." She kissed his forehead. "Because of you, I had a different view on life and justice." She kissed his nose next. "And because of you protecting me, I became braver and braver every time." She kissed his lips next, with the boy returning the kiss. Ai wrapped her arms around his neck, and Conan held onto her hair, deepening the kiss. A minute later, they broke away, because of the need for hair. She cupped her right cheek. "No matter what you do, fight an organization, or even let an enemy help us, it won't stop me from loving you, bakane."

Conan grinned and hugged her tightly. He stood up with her still on him as they spun around. "I love you too."

A sudden clearing of throat made them turn 90 degrees to find Ryuuichi and Kazuko staring at them. They immediately let go of each other while sporting a massive blush on both of their faces. Kazuko whistled and spoke. "Wow, that was certainly cheesy, don't you think?" She turned to Ryuuichi.

Nodding his head multiple times, he stated, "Definitely cheesy." Conan and Ai's faces went redder by the second, completely embarrassed that their friends saw what they were doing. "Come on, don't be embarrassed, you guys! Yamada-san and I just got here when you two were hugging, we had no idea on what you two were doing before that!"

Hearing this made a wave of relief flow through Conan and Ai. "What are you two doing here?" asked Conan. "Weren't you two at the station?"

"Your three friends already told us everything, Shinichi-kun," said Kazuko. "So the first thing I have to say is why? Why did you hide it from us? Why did you hide the fact that you were going to fight the BO a few days ago? You could've told us and then we wouldn't get worried over you."

"Kazuko-chan," Conan began. "I didn't tell you three because I wanted you to be safe." The three raised an eyebrow. "You see, Hattori was critically injured the night before we went to Mt. Fuji. I figured that if I told you about it, you'd want to go with us and fight the organization. What worried me the most was that there would be a high chance that one of you, or maybe even all of you would end up like Hattori, and I didn't want that to happen, so I kept quiet about it. I just wanted to protect you all, that's it."

Ai put her hands on her hips and smirked. "Still, you could've told me about it, Conan. Even if you were worried about me, I would've understood and let you go on without me."

Conan scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'll try to remember that next time." Something then popped up inside the boy's mind. "Come to think of it, I actually found a data file about APTX 4869 at the base!"

Ai's eyes widened. "You did?!"

"Yeah, but it's still at the station. I was planning to get it but you three showed up so I wasn't able to. I'll get it later."

"Hey," Ryuuichi called, earning the two's attention. "Are you looking for this?" He brought out a blue folder and Conan immediately took it. His eyes widened when he opened it and saw what's inside.

"Yes! This is it! Thanks, Ryuuichi." Conan then fist-bumped him before walking back to Ai and afterwards, gave her the folder. Ai opened it and she gasped with what was inside.

"Yes!" she cried. "This will make a huge progress on the antidote! This contains my research when I started working on the drug! The antidote will be easier to complete now! Thank you, Conan! You truly are remarkable!" Flashing her rare smile, she then hugged him out of pure joy. "I love you!"

"I love you too." Seeing Kazuko and Ryuuichi just watching them, he beckons them to join in the hug. Kazuko cheered and immediately joined in with a huge grin on her face while Ryuuichi sighed and shrugged before finally accepting the four-way hug to a chorus of cheers and smiles.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here:**_

 _ **"Can I date you?"**_

 _ **"I love you… Kaito."**_

 _ **"Something to remember you by…"**_

 _ **"Just go back to her…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 30: FINALLY TOGETHER**_

* * *

 _ **Well, that was fun to write! Next chapter will mainly focus on Kaito his ultimatum regarding who will he end up with. I hope Gin's backstory would be enough for you now, because everything will make sense as the chapters go by. To those who didn't understand, Gin's real name here is Gintaro Murakami, his codename from his real first name. And his father is the boss of the organization, who is referred to as "Ano Kata". We are almost done with the Change arc and we're starting to transition to the Revenge arc. What arc is your fave or looking forward to? Until then, see you all later!**_

 _ **-Lance**_


	30. Finally Together

_**Here we are! The last chapter of the Change arc! This chapter will just be a wrap-up or meaning to say, the conclusion of everything that has happened starting from chapter 19. I decided to update early because my mom threatened me that she'll take my phone away if my grades lower. If she does take my phone, then it will be a long time before I update again. I'm not talking about years, but maybe only a few months. That's what I hate about her! She just can't accept that I have my duties as a writer here on this site. However, if my grades do not lower, then we are still good and I'll update the chapters fast again. Anyway, I certainly had fun in writing this chapter, especially the parts with Kaito and Akako. The feels in this chap almost killed me. I am very sorry to KaitoxAoko shippers, especially to my friend who was constantly bugging me to never break up her OTP. Reading what FroodleSoup said in her review, she said that Gin's backstory was interesting! I really hope it is, because I had a hard time thinking of what basis would I use for his memories. Also, time goes by so fast, don't you think? Thirty gone, twenty remain. I am looking forward to writing the final chapters, but I'm not thrilled about the final battle, which will most certainly the hardest chapter to write. Going into the Revenge arc and synching it with the titles of the chapters associated there, I hope you get what it means in the upcoming chapters.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: If I did own DC, all of this becomes real**_

* * *

Even if she didn't want to, Kazuko broke the hug, having something else planned in her mind. "Hey, Shinichi-kun," she called, earning Conan's attention. "Since you were successful in defeating the BO, this calls for a celebration, don't you think?" Conan and Ai first looked at each other and nodded immediately. She then turned to Ryuuichi, who just shrugged his shoulders. "YATTA! Everyone, we're spending the night at Haido Hotel! My treat!" Everyone raised their fists in the air, but something just had to interrupt them from their moment of peace.

"Can we come as well?" Everyone turned to who was speaking. Ayumi was standing behind them along with Mitsuhiko and Genta, with pleading looks on their faces. Kazuko literally face-palmed and Conan smirked at her. "Please? We haven't been to Haido Hotel before," Ayumi continued. The four teens sweat-dropped, knowing that the rest of the night won't be as peaceful as they thought.

Finally, Kazuko looked at the three kids with a fake grin. "Of course! You guys can come along as well! Just make sure that you tell your parents first, all right?"

"HAI!" the three kids said unison before running out the door. Everything was silent again in the house. Ryuuichi was the first one to speak again.

"Do you think we should –" Conan cut him off before he could say more.

"No, no, let's not make them upset," he stated. "And trust me, you wouldn't like it when you make Ayumi-chan upset." Conan then thought about Genta and Mitsuhiko going berserk when they find out Ayumi was crying, bringing a small chuckle to his face.

"Fine, I'll let them tag along," said Kazuko with a groan. "Just this once. Come on, let's wait for them outside." She then headed out the door, followed by the three teens.

 **One hour later…**

While Kazuko was paying the taxi driver, the others went inside the hotel. Much to Conan's surprise, Ai held his hand tightly when they were inside the building. "Is something wrong?" asked Conan.

"I-it's nothing," she replied, letting go of his hand in the process. "I just remembered the night where Pisco was here, and when Gin and Vodka almost killed me."

"Well, it's nothing to worry about, don't worry. We came here to have fun and relax, 'kay? You don't need to worry about anything regarding the Black Organization." Ai warmly smiled at him. They were cut off from their private moment when Kazuko tossed some keys at the boy, and he barely caught them.

"If you two are done with your moment, head to our room at the third floor, all right? The girls are coming with me to take a shower, understand?" asked Kazuko. Conan nodded which made Kazuko give him three bags belonging to each girl. "Great!" Take our things to the room as well!" She held Ai and Ayumi's hand as they started walking away. "See you!"

"Taku, she just had to ruin the moment," Conan mumbled to himself. "Come on, you guys, let's go to our room. And help with these bags as well." Mitsuhiko took Ayumi's bag from him, while Genta took both Ai and Kazuko's bags. Conan started to head to the nearest elevator, with the three boys following closely behind.

As soon as they got to the third floor, Conan looked at the two keys he had, both having the number 319, so they looked for the room 319. When they found the room, Conan opened the door and they were struck with awe with what was inside. Two king-sized beds, with a huge flat-screen TV. There was also a dining table and a big corridor for clothes. To top it all off, there were also two bathrooms and a balcony for a view of the outside. Genta and Mitsuhiko dropped the bags they were carrying and they immediately jumped on the bed relaxed in its soft covers. Ryuuichi sighed and sat on one of the chairs on the table, while Conan kept himself busy by putting all of their bags inside the corridor.

After putting the last of their bags into the corridor, the boy collapsed on the other bed and stared at the ceiling. He started to think about everything that has happened lately. 'Man, it's nearly a year since I have shrunk. So many good and bad things happened all throughout the months. I lived in a detective agency with a cocky drunk who needs my help all the time, I met three annoying kids who always bother me all the time, I met one of my best friends through a murder case, I met the other one through his heist, made two new friends and allies, and then… I met the love of my life.' He started to reminisce about the time when Ai first went to Teitan Primary School and how she scared the heck out of him by saying that Agasa-hakase was in danger, making him chuckle slightly at the memory. 'What a horrible introduction, but it led to me having the perfect girlfriend and soon-to-be wife…" He then blushed deeply after he said his last statement, causing him to shake his head at the thought of it. 'No, no, no, it's too early to think about marriage! We're still in the middle of a war, and this shouldn't be the time to relax and be in peace yet. Even if it disappoints me that we didn't really defeat the BO, we must not give up hope. Come to think of it, since Gin is here with us, it must mean that only the Boss, Rum, Tequila, and Vodka were at their escape helicopter that time. Wait, what if Vermouth was there? No, isn't the type of member who'd stick around the base while a war is going on, she's probably somewhere, disguised as who-knows-who...' His minds started to drift to Gin. 'Now, according to Gin, he found out that the Boss killed his mother through a CCTV footage on his father's laptop. But like what Megure-keibu said, it's not like his father would just leave it right there for his son to watch. He wouldn't possibly want his son to rebel against the organization considering his abilities. Then who? Who was the one who set up the video?' A sudden idea then struck his head. 'Wait! Could it be that –?!' He was cut off from his thoughts when the door to their room opened.

Ai, Kazuko, and Ayumi came in wearing only bathrobes. Ai was still drying her hair with a towel, Kazuko was looking at herself through a small mirror, while Ayumi was hiding behind the two of them with a huge blush on her face. Conan looked to his side, and saw both Mitsuhiko and Genta literally drooling with what was in front of them, forcing the boy to throw a pillow at both of their faces to shake them out of their perverted thoughts. "Sorry," he heard them whisper before turning back to Ai again.

"All right, now it's all your turn to take a shower," Ai began as she finished using her towel to dry her hair. "Take your towels and get out, we need to change clothes. And don't worry about the bathrobes, they'll give you a free one downstairs anyway."

"But Haibara-san," Mitsuhiko said as he rubbed the back of his head. "We already took a bath even before we left home."

Ai flashed her signature glare at him, causing him to flinch a bit. "Do I need to repeat myself, Tsubaraya-kun?"

"N-no…" he answered out of fear.

"Then get going. We'll order food anyway, so when the four of you come back, we can eat altogether, sounds good?" The four boys nodded before heading over to the corridor to get their towels and afterwards, they headed out the room. As they started to head for the elevator going down, Conan leaned in to Ryuuichi and whispered, "I have a feeling that something unfortunate is going to happen to us…"

"What do you mean?" replied Ryuuichi.

"I don't know, I just got a sudden feeling that something is gonna happen tonight. It could be either good or bad, depending on how you look at it." Ryuuichi chuckled and ruffled Conan's hair.

"Don't be worried, Edogawa-kun! We came here to have fun, not to get worried over some little things, okay?" Conan nodded in response. "That's the spirit! Now let's get going, I want to relax with a hot bath!"

'Maybe Ryuuichi's right,' Conan thought. 'What could possibly go wrong on this near-perfect night? What was I thinking? I should just enjoy this moment since this won't happen all the time and it's not very often that I get to see Kazuko-chan bring out her money to take us on memorable trips or activities.'

 **One hour later…**

"All right, tell the truth," Ryuuichi snarled as they went inside the elevator wearing bathrobes. "Which one of you two was the reason why we were kicked out of the showers?!"

"It was Mitsuhiko!" Genta exclaimed. "He pushed me first, then I just went back at him, and then everything went wild after that…"

"Oi, oi, it's not me!" said Mitsuhiko. "I didn't push you, Genta-kun! I told you I just slipped then you suddenly pushed me, I just wanted to get back at you!"

"All right, all right, shut your mouths! They'll probably cool down in the morning, so let's just head back to the room. Hopefully, Haibara-san, Yamada-san, and Yoshida-san already have food on the table." screamed Ryuuichi in irritation. Conan just chuckled sarcastically. Apparently, Genta and Mitsuhiko started a fight in the showers, causing the security guard there to throw them out because of the noise they were making. Conan was cut off from his chuckling when Ryuuichi leaned closer to his ear. "Are things going well between you and Haibara-san?"

"Yeah, so?" Conan replied followed with a smirk. "Why? Is there a problem between you and Kazuko-chan?"

The boy then blushed deeply. "Well, it's not too big of a problem, but it is for me."

"I'm all ears."

Ryuuichi took a deep breath. "Yamada-san wants me to take her out on a date."

Conan raised an eyebrow. Did he just hear him say that Kazuko wanted to go on a date with him? But isn't Kazuko the shy type when it comes to Ryuuichi? "Wait, did she ask you that face-to-face?" the boy asked as they stepped out of the elevator.

"No, I just heard her talking to herself yesterday, she was saying things like, 'When will he ask me out?' and 'Where would we go on our first date?'" This made Conan smirk at him. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked in confusion.

"So you really like Kazuko-chan?" This made Ryuuichi blush fifty shades of red. "I always thought that you would be the kind of guy who would be always annoyed by a girl's antics and would usually stay away until that girl grows tired of it. Who knew that you were actually different even though you seem like the complete opposite?" Ryuuichi looked away in embarrassment. "But you know, this is pretty fast. Are you with what you're feeling right now? I mean, it hasn't been two weeks since you two were properly introduced to each other."

"Look, it may seem fast, but I do like her. She kinda looks a little like my mom and the first time I met her face-to-face, I felt really warm inside. I was also very comfortable whenever I went near her, leading to me choosing her as my partner for Valentines' Week. And truth be told, I enjoyed every second of the week."

"Aw, cheer up, man! Look there's our room right there!" Ryuuichi looked ahead and saw that their hotel room was indeed nearing them. When they were just outside the room, Conan faced Ryuuichi again. "Maybe you'll get your chance to know more about Kazuko-chan tonight, okay?" Ryuuichi nodded. Conan gripped the doorknob and opened it but without taking his eyes off of his friend. "Remember, do it for Kazuko-chan!" The next thing he noticed was his eyes, along with Genta and Mitsuhiko's eyes are so widened that they could be compared to saucers. Conan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion then turned around. His eyes widen as well with what he saw.

Three open bottles of alcohol were at the table, with a plate of squid rings and pork chops. A few clothes were splattered all over the floor. The corridor was wide open, but what shocked the boys the most, were the three girls themselves.

Ayumi was lying on her stomach on the bed, crying loudly. Kazuko was on the other bed, jumping up and down happily as if it was a trampoline. While Ai was sitting on the floor, angrily clutching a small shot glass. They were still wearing their bathrobes, which meant that they didn't change clothes since earlier. The boys then noticed that all three girls had blushes on their faces, which led to them into thinking the same thing in their head.

 _Are they... drunk?!_

"Why didn't Mitsuhiko-kun and I win King and Queen of Hearts?!" cried Ayumi as tears kept flowing out of her eyes. Mitsuhiko raised an eyebrow at her, because it definitely weirded him out that Ayumi was actually bothered that they didn't win any of the major awards during Valentines' Week even though she told him that it was okay.

"Oh, Ryuuichi-kun and the others have arrived!" said Kazuko in a cheerful voice as she continued to bounce up and down the bed. "Come and join me jump on the bed! It's so fun! Ahahahaha!"

"Our booze isn't enough! Someone get us more booze right now!" grumbled Ai as her eyes laid on Genta. "Kojima-kun!" Genta flinched in fear. "Get us more bottles!"

The four boys couldn't believe what they were seeing. Ayumi was crying on the bed, Kazuko was laughing like an idiot and being playful towards them, while Ai just kept glaring at the same time to each of them. "What the hell is going on?!" Ryuuichi complained.

Conan then turned to the hallway they were in. "Hey, who in the world delivered –?!" he shouted angrily but was stopped in his tracks with a pillow flying to his face. The force was so strong that he actually fell backwards. When he got the pillow off of his face, he shuddered in fear when he saw Ai grit her teeth at him.

"Shut the hell up, Conan!" she growled. "Come over here!" Conan gulped before walking slowly to her, with Genta following him with a quick wink. When the two boys were right in front of Ai, she stood up angrily with her bangs covering her eyes. "KNEEL!" she shouted in both of their faces, and they knelt out of fear.

"Note to self, never get Ai drunk, " Conan mumbled to himself as he observed how his girlfriend acts when she's drunk. "She's a bossy devil who takes everything seriously. Even I can't survive this."

"WHAT WAS THAT, CONAN?" Nearly everyone was taken aback with Ai's shouting. Conan's eyes widened when he saw that Ai's predatory look went to him.

"N-nothing!" he immediately said.

Mitsuhiko went beside the bed that Ayumi was crying on. He stroked her back, while saying comforting words. "Everything's going to be okay, Ayumi-chan," he spoke. "Stop crying now, you wouldn't want our friends to see you cry, right?" To his surprise, Ayumi instantly sat up but tears were still falling from her face.

"Mitsuhiko-kun, why didn't we win the King and Queen of Hearts?" Ayumi asked in tears. "We did everything we could, right?" Before the boy could answer back, Ayumi cut him off. "You like me, right?" he nodded sheepishly, not sure if he knows what was going on right now. "Then why didn't we win?!" she cried even louder now, forcing Mitsuhiko, who was wide-eyed more than ever, to get in the bed and hug her. "Am I not good enough for you, Mitsuhiko-kun? Do you still like Ai-chan?"

"No, no, no, no, no, I don't like Haibara-san like that anymore!" he said, getting frantic about what would happen if he didn't answer seriously. "She's with Conan-kun now, and she's just a friend to me now."

"Mitsuhiko-kun…" It happened in a flash. Mitsuhiko felt that his bones were being crushed by the girl in front of him. His arms felt limp and released her waists then dropped to his sides. She hugged him so tight that he was barely able to breath. "Please don't replace me! I like you so much!" Ayumi cried, with tears flowing from her eyes faster than ever.

"HELP!" screamed Mitsuhiko as he tried to break out of Ayumi's tight grasp on him. "SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!"

Kazuko beckons Ryuuichi to come closer to her, causing the boy to blush, but headed to her anyways. "So, what do you want, Yamada-san?" he asked innocently as he sat on the bed, trying his best to hide his embarrassment.

"Can you please stroke my face, Ryuuichi-kun?" she asked sweetly. The boy raised an eyebrow along with his widened eyes in confusion. "You know, touch my face and make me feel good…"

"AS IF I'D DO THAT!" yelled Ryuuichi, who just figured out what she meant. "I'M NOT DOING IT NOW, AND I'LL NEVER DO IT, YAMADA-SAN!"

"Ok!" she replied happily, not feeling any hurt at all. "I'll do it for you instead!" Catching him off guard, she lunged at him and straddled his hips and then lied down on his chest. Kazuko began to stroke his cheeks, jaw, forehead, ears, and air, causing the boy under her to have a bloody nose in the process.

Conan, who was still kneeling with Genta, snuck a glance at Mitsuhiko and Ryuuichi, hoping that they were still all right. When he looked at Mitsuhiko, he flinched a bit, not knowing how Ayumi can be so dangerous even with just a hug. When he looked at Ryuuichi, his eyes widened before looking away in respect to him and Kazuko's moments, and he also smirked when he saw Ryuuichi's bloody nose. But his daydreaming was cut off when an angry voice toppled his fantasies. "Did I tell you that you could daydream,?!" Ai snarled.

"Why the hell is she mad at us?" Genta whispered.

"NO TALKING BACK!" The two boys flinched again out of fear. She suddenly grabbed onto Genta's hair, causing him to scream in pain. "Hey, Tsubaraya-kun, when did you get so fat?" she asked.

"I'm Genta!" The fat boy tried to defend, but failed anyway, when he felt that Ai's hold onto his hair disappeared. She then had a tightening grip onto Conan's hair, causing him to cry out in agony.

"Fujimoto-kun, why do you have glasses now?" she snarled, taking off Conan's glasses and observing it. Conan immediately took back his glasses, but his plan ultimately fails when Ai emits a murderous aura around her. "WHO SAID THAT YOU CAN JUST TAKE THINGS FROM ME?!" Ai snarled at him while cracking her knuckles, causing him to sweat and shrink from Ai's murderous gaze.

'I am so dead. I swear I'm getting back at her for this!' Conan thought as the rest of their night was full of screams and cries before the girls finally passed out, with Conan and Ryuuichi carefully laying them down on the bed before they went to DreamLand themselves. Yep, it sure was a great night…

 **The Next Day, Kaito's Mansion…**

'Okay, you can do this Kaito,' the former magician thought to himself as he ate his way through breakfast. 'You're just going to ask Akako-chan out, it's not the end of the world, right? Damn, I never thought I would be this nervous… where's Shinichi and Heiji when I need them?! Hakuba can't help either, that lazy ass is a heavy sleeper… you can do this, Kaito… you've managed to escape the police many times, so what if you ask Akako-chan out?' He finished his breakfast and put his plate in the sink. He went upstairs to his room and combed his hair. He looked at himself in the mirror and started to think about his childhood friend. 'Aoko… I'm really sorry. But like I said, I'm not going to ask you out, because I'm afraid of rejection and that it might ruin our friendship. I gave you the time to confess, but I heard nothing from you during the past month.' He went downstairs and put on his shoes, at the same time, his mother walked towards him. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"K-kaa-san!" he exclaimed in surprise. "I-I was just going to school, maybe I could use some Saturday practice."

"Ok, just be home for dinner, okay?" Kaito nodded as he went out the door.

Reaching the school grounds, he was lucky that Akako was using her phone while sitting on her usual bench. He gulped and took a deep breath first before revealing his presence. "Akako-chan!" he called. The girl stopped with what she was doing and looked up to see Kaito walking towards her.

"Kuroba-kun," she replied in a blank tone, taking her attention back to her phone. "What brings you here? Is there another case for you to solve? Or are you here to practice your soccer?"

The former magician scratched the back of his head in embarrassment before finally having the courage to speak. "No, I was actually looking for you. I want to ask you something."

"Then get on with it, Kuroba-kun. I don't have all day."

'This is it,' he thought. 'Kami, I hope this goes well.' "Akako-chan, can I date you?" Hearing his statement made the girl stop using her phone and widen her eyes in shock. She looked up at him in disbelief. Did Kaito, her longtime crush, just asked if he could date her? Maybe she was hearing things so she decided to ask him.

"C-come again? I didn't think I heard you right, Kuroba-kun…"

"I-I was asking if I could date you," he replied with a crimson red blush. "You know, maybe we could hang out sometime and go out on dates and other stuff like that." Akako started blushing as well. "But if you don't want to, it's okay. We could probably just stay as friends." The girl looked down on the ground in shock with what he was saying. "So, what do you say?" The girl looked up at him again, with a huge blush painted on her cheeks. It took a full minute for her to finally give her answer.

"S-sure…" Hearing thid made Kaito's eyes widen as he was struck with joy. Akako raised an eyebrow at him, as he was literally jumping up and down out of happiness. When he finally stopped, he then hugged her, much to the girl's surprise and embarrassment. At first she was shaking when she felt his arms around her, but soon gave in when she wrapped her arms around him as well. When Kaito pulled away, he had a big grin on his face, causing the girl to smile warmly.

"Meet me here tomorrow at 1 in the afternoon, okay? We're going out together!" Too hypnotized with what was going on right now, she just nodded her head, causing another smile to form on Kaito's face. "Great! See you tomorrow!" He waved his hand goodbye and walked off, leaving the girl sitting on the bench. Not caring about where was he headed or why would he leave, she just stood there, like a statue, too dumbstruck with everything that happened. She felt something weird inside her, and when she felt her chest with her right hand, her heart felt like it was beating a thousand times in a minute.

'This is what it feels like…' she thought.

 **Three weeks later…**

Akako has never been so happy for the past three weeks. In truth, she never knew why did she agree to Kaito asking her out in the first place, but she didn't care anymore because of everything that has happened. Whenever they were in school, he would tease her non-stop causing her to punch or smack him in the head most of the time. But whenever they were alone, she was astounded at how much of a gentleman he was. He would always treat her out whenever they eat, and he lets her pick the places on where they would go in every date they had. It was also because of him that she became nicer and more understanding to the people in their school. They almost acted like a real couple. Being completely different from the person she once was, she decided to repay everything that he has done for her. By agreeing to be his girlfriend.

She called the former magician last night and told him to meet her at school the next day because she has something important to tell him. Much to her surprise, instead of her being the first one to be present, she already saw Kaito sitting on "her" bench, using his phone. As soon as he caught the siggt of her, he immediately put his phone back in his pocket and stood up. "Hi, Akako-chan!" he began. The girl walked closer to him. "So what did you want to tell me? I made sure to come here early because I figured that it might be really important to you."

Akako smiled warmly. "Yes," she replied. "It is very important to me." Kaito raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I wanted to thank you for the happiness you gave me for the past weeks. I've never been so happy in my entire life."

"Oh, that?" Kaito scratched his hair. "Don't worry about it. I'll always make you happy, don't forget that."

"It was also because of you that I have a different attitude now. Sure, when I get angry, it's bad, but I've been nicer to other people right now. So thank you for changing me." The former magician started to blush furiously, not expecting her to say these kinds of things to him. "And I need to repay you for everything you've done for me."

"Akako-chan, really, you don't need to do anything for me. As long as you're happy, then I'm happy."

"Drop the '-chan'. Call me by my real name. And even if my payment to you are only a few words," she started to blush as she stared at him straight in the eyes. "I'm sure this will be enough for you to be as happy as me." She then cupped his left cheek as his eyes widened. "I love you… Kaito." His eyes widened even more. "And I would be happy to be your girlfriend."

The boy looked at her in astonishment. He couldn't believe that she just announced that they were officially a thing. And he also couldn't believe that Akako finally called him by his first name, and not his last. He cupped her cheek as well, causing her to blush furiously from his touch. "I love you too, Akako." And with that, their lips crashed with one another, marking their first kiss. Kaito wrapped his arms around her waist while she wrapped hers on his neck. The boy inhaled her sweet scent of blueberries, sending his nerves on fire. Akako bit his bottom lip, causing him to moan inside her mouth. It wasn't a rough kiss, nor an erotic one, but rather it was a kiss that is shared by married couples. They silently hoped that it would last forever, but their simple need for air forced them to stop. When they pulled away, they heard gasps and clapping around them. They turned to see many of their classmates and schoolmates circling them. Some were cheering for the couple, while some groaned in irritation and jealousy. But it was Aoko's reaction that caught the two's attention. Her eyes were so big while her mouth was hanging open. They honestly didn't know if she was jealous or shocked, or happy, time would only tell that.

 **Three days later…**

It had been an awkward three days for Kaito, Aoko, and Akako. Whenever the former magician comes closer to his childhood friend, she would make an excuse and leave. Akako was getting worried for him, but he pleaded to her to just stay out of the picture since it was a matter between childhood friends. Akako just wished him luck that he would finally solve the problem.

She was currently sitting on a bench alone, staring at the ground. It was their lunch break, yet she wasn't eating anything at all, which made Kaito worry about her well-being. A sandwich was then thrown to her lap, and when she looked up, it was none other than her childhood friend. She placed the sandwich to her side then she looked away and scoffed. "What do you want?" she asked in a neutral tone, but Kaito knew that deep down inside, she was sulking. Of course, they had been together ever since they were kids, so he knew what was she really feeling every time based on experience.

He first took a deep breath. "I just want to clear things between us, Aoko. I'm not going to leave Akako. I love her and she loves me, that won't change. I just want to know why have you been avoiding me ever since you saw me with her. You know I like you, right?"

He then watched as Aoko's serious face gave way to one that showed sadness and regret. She sighed first before continuing. "I know… and believe me Kaito, I feel the same way for you." The former magician's eyes widened with her confession. She liked him? But he knew that it won't matter now that he's with Akako, though he's wondering why Aoko never admitted her feelings to him. "But I was just too shy to admit to you how I felt," she continued as tears began to flow from her eyes. Realization struck him. She was shy. She always had been. That's why she never confessed to him up until this point. "Every time I would think of confessing my feelings to you, my shyness gets the better of me and I failed every single time. So I decided to wait until you would confront me about it so I could finally tell you how I feel." She then sobbed loudly into her hands before continuing. "But I guess I waited too long and lost you to Akako-chan." Being the caring friend that he is, sat beside her and let her cry on his chest. He hasn't seen her cry like this ever, so he stroked her hair and patted her back to try and calm her at least.

After two minutes of weeping, Aoko sniffled, wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked at Kaito straight in the eyes. He had a look of concern on her and it almost seemed like that he was about to cry as well. "I'm not angry, don't worry." Hearing this made Kaito hug her in relief, and he thanked whoever he could thank for giving him the best childhood friend he could ever ask for. "Be good to her, Kaito." He looked at her questioningly as if she was joking. "I'm serious!" she pressed on.

"You don't need to tell me that," he told her with confidence which made Aoko smile. "I'll always protect her, just like how I would protect you."

"Protect me? You're joking, right? You haven't even rescued me from something yet!" she teased, making the both of them laugh. He pinched her nose and stood up, happy that he has solved this personal problem and started to wonder where Akako was. Aoko smiled at how Kaito was acting right now and decided to get one last remembrance from him before finally letting go. "Hey, Kaito…"

He turned around, and before he knew it, Aoko pressed her lips to his. She reluctantly pulled back after a few seconds and smiled. "…something to remember you by…" she added, but before he could reply, he heard some rustling in the bushes near the school and he saw plum-colored hair rush past the trees. He immediately went after her, leaving his childhood friend behind.

"Akako!" he called as he navigated through the trees.

"I hope I didn't ruin their relationship," Aoko mumbled to herself as she picked up the sandwich that Kaito gave her at the bench and began to eat.

Akako ran through the trees, trying to get as far as possible so she could be alone. The sight of Kaito and Aoko kissing was too much for her. She knew that she couldn't compare to Aoko, much because she had known Kaito ever since they were kids and that she knows him better than her. However, she couldn't bring herself to hate her because of her newfound personality and that Aoko was too much of a good friend to her. Everything around her became blurry as tears stung in her eyes and she didn't notice a tree root sticking out of the ground as she tripped on it. She closed her eyes and braced for the impact, but the pain never came. She then felt a strong arm wrapped around her abdomen. She opened her eyes to see that Kaito was holding her. "Just go back to her," she stated, anger evident in her voice. "She deserves you anyway and you two know each other since –" she was cut off from her words when Kaito pulled her into his embrace. Before she could say another word, Kaito kissed her on the lips. He pulled back after a few seconds after managing to calm her down.

"I told you that I love you, right?" she nodded as a light blush stained her cheeks. "You're the one who I want as a girlfriend, and nothing will change that!"

"But –"

"No buts!" she nodded, too lost in what was happening to even argue. "I love you and I want to be with you, why can't you understand that?"

"I… I can't help it, Kaito! I can't compare to Aoko because you two were friends since you were kids and she's closer to you than me and I'm nowhere like her," said in a defeated tone.

Kaito sighed and ruffled his hair as he stood back. "You're right, you're not like Aoko. I love you for who you are, okay?" When he saw Akako about to speak again, he once again kissed her on the lips and wiped her tears away in the process. He pulled back and smiled. "Don't worry about Aoko. She moved on from me earlier and what you saw was just a 'goodbye gift' for her, understand?" She smiled and nodded. He pinched her nose. "I love you!"

She first punched him in the arm, before holding his hand with hers. "I love you too." They smiled at one another as they began to walk back to the school, hand-in-hand.

Finally, they were together.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"I don't think it's over yet, Kazuko-chan."**_

 _ **"More and more children are disappearing by the second…"**_

 _ **"Do you have an idea on what is going on?!"**_

 _ **"The BO must be working with another syndicate!"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 31: TROUBLE STIRS AGAIN**_

* * *

 _ **Is it wrong to cry at my own chapter? My God, the feels! I can't believe I actually wrote that! In my opinion, this has got to be one of the best chapters I've written here. If you got time, tell me what are your thoughts on this chapter in a review! The Change arc is finally completed and we'll now go straight to the Revenge arc! We are nearing the end of this story, peeps! Just stick with me till the end! Like I said, I may lose my phone if my grades become low, so I might be gone for a while. But never say never! See you!**_

 _ **-Lance**_


	31. Trouble Stirs Again

_**I decided to update fast again since it is our semestral break and my grades aren't out yet. The Revenge arc is officially underway starting now! Guys, about the girls getting drunk last chapter, it was just for the laughs and to make it a more interesting chapter. So yeah, I apologize for it. Anyway, as you may have noticed, the FBI has been laying low, or in other words, they haven't been making any appearances in this story, with the exception of Jodie-sensei congratulating Conan after defeating the Dragon Syndicate, which doesn't count. The FBI will finally make their presence known in the Revenge arc, starting here. As I have said, it'll be harder to write the future chapters, since I need to connect everything correctly. And that more characters will be featured, although they are characters who are part of the franchise. So far, the Power arc has the hardest chapters to write since they involve the Dragon Syndicate, which is a set of characters who are completely a product of my imagination. It was certainly hard to come up with character names, with the exception of Kazuko Yamada, since I already had her in my mind before I even started the Power arc. But once we head into the Truth arc, everything will be easier again and will be more fun to write. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to write an amazing story with the perfect blend of action, romance, mystery, and adventure. It makes me really happy to know that a lot of people, hundreds maybe, like this fanfic so much. Originally, this was only supposed to feature the BO, not two syndicates, which would lead to fewer chapters, but like the idiot that I am during summer, I was like, "Meh, I'll wing it. What's the worst thing that could happen?" To tell you all the truth, my imagination was pushed to the limit when I featured two syndicates here, thereby extending the universe here. It only became larger when Kazuko and Ryuuichi made their debut. October has been the best month of this fanfic, because if you kept track of this, 4 chapters were released this month. Now we have the fifth! Seeing that we're now on the road to the end of this fanfic, there's no way in hell that I'll stop updating now!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: CM Punk returned (not really) yet I still don't own DC *cough WWE cough***_

* * *

Conan, Ryuuichi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta lazily looked to the left and right to see Ai, Kazuko, and Ayumi continuously pleading for forgiveness while on the way to their school. Apparently, it had been this way for the past weeks ever since they left Haido Hotel. After the girls got drunk and woke up the next morning, the boys explained what happened the night before as their heads were in pain. They were taken aback when they learned that they were drunk and literally tortured the boys with their different personalities. The three girls have been trying to apologize for the next days, which turned to weeks, but the boys simply turned them down every time, saying that they somehow know that them being drunk would happen again in the future. The four boys groaned in irritation because the girls just won't stop bugging them. Ryuuichi was the first one to snap. "Will you girls give it a rest?!" he cried. "It's been three weeks ever since that incident and you all still haven't moved on from it!" To his surprise, he felt a pair of strong arms wrap tightly around his waist.

"We know!" Kazuko pouted, with anime tears flowing from her eyes. "We're sorry, Ryuuichi-kun! We didn't know that the alcohol had such an effect on us!"

As Ryuuichi struggled to get out of the girl's grasp, Conan walked up to her with an annoyed look on his face. "Come to think of it, Kazuko-chan," he said, making the girl release Ryuuichi, who dropped to the ground gasping for hair, and turned to the boy. "Who was the one who delivered the alcohol to our room? I doubt that any of you three would order, so it must be another person who brought the bottles to our room."

"Now that you mention it," answered Kazuko as she rested her chin on her hand. "It was actually Ai-chan who ordered the alcohol." Everyone's eyes widened and when they turned to the auburn-haired girl, she already hung her head in embarrassment. "She first told me because she wanted me to join her in releasing stress."

"Please forgive me," she said in a neutral tone. "It was all my fault. I was so troubled that time." Conan sighed and wrapped his left arm around her, causing her to blush in embarrassment.

"Come on let's get going, guys," said Conan as they continued walking to their school. "There's no point in talking about that incident again." He then turned to his girlfriend and smirked. "I'm going to get back at you for unleashing your drunken self on me that night."

She returned it with a smirk of her own. "I'd like to see you try."

 **One hour later…**

Conan groaned and his fell on his desk in boredom. Even though the past few days were exciting and thrilling, school days weren't over him yet. There was still at least two more months before summer vacation, which annoyed him to no end. 'Why can't time go by faster?' he thought to himself. 'I'm looking forward to our summer, who knows what Kazuko-chan has in her mind? Knowing her, she already has a ton of road trips planned. Hehe, I wonder what's worse. A ton of road trips or ten months of school.' He looked at all of his classmates around him. 'I hope Ryuuichi becomes our classmate next school year, it also gets boring when I only have Ai and Kazuko-chan to talk to.' His eyes then turned to the two empty seats by the window. 'Huh? That's odd. The little girl by the window has never been absent. The boy who's behind her, I can understand because he rarely shows up. But what happened to the little girl?' His thoughts were cut off when his name was continuously called.

"EDOGAWA-KUN!" called Kobayashi-sensei.

"H-hai, sensei?!" replied Conan, with a tone of fear in his voice.

"Pay attention otherwise you're going to detention for the next three days!"

Conan hung his head. "H-hai, sensei." Ai and Kazuko chuckled in amusement at seeing the star student of the class being scolded.

 **After class…**

Conan decided to accompany Ai and Kazuko back to their home. Ryuuichi and the others were already gone leaving the three. Right now, the boy was walking behind the two girls. 'It has been a few weeks since we defeated the organization yet they still haven't made a move,' Conan said in his thoughts. 'A few members escaped, right? They should be at least planning on how they'd strike back, but I've heard nothing from Megure-keibu and Matsumoto-keiji.' A memory then struck his mind. 'Come to think of it, we have no idea if the Dragon Syndicate was truly defeated. Ryujin and the Boss were involved in the crash, resulting their deaths. And if they didn't die, they would've surely made their revenge on us, but we've only encountered rogue members so far, which is not really too big of a problem.' The boy stroked his chin and thought hard. 'Wait, what if the two organizations joined forces?! If that happened, our worst fears have been realized!' Conan flinched a bit at the image of both the BO and DS wreaking havoc, but he shook his head to get him out of that thought. 'No, that can't be. If that happened, they would've surely made a move now since two syndicates have more power than one.' A smack to his head cut him out off his thoughts.

While Conan screamed in pain, Ai smirked at him while Kazuko stuck her tongue out. "What was that for, Kazuko-chan?" the boy cried.

Kazuko crossed her arms and looked away. "You weren't listening to anything I was saying! You were just standing there, lost in your own train of thought!"

"All right, all right! What did you want to ask?"

"I want to ask about the BO… I mean, is it over? I mean, it's been a few weeks since you managed to defeat them. Even though you said that a few members escaped, nothing bad has happened. It won't hurt to say that it's over, right?"

Conan shook his head. "I don't think it's over yet, Kazuko-chan." When he saw the girl raise an eyebrow, he rested his chin on his hand. "I'm starting to think that the BO is just preparing themselves. I mean, they lost almost all of their members at the battle in Mt. Fuji. It seems that the most tactical thing for them to do is to build their army again. I'm having a feeling that they're planning or doing something behind our backs, but I can't put my finger on it. But right now, we must not get carried away even if they are gone. We never know when they will strike back. This isn't the time to celebrate and be back to our normal lives again because that may be exactly what they want. So we must always be careful and wary of our surroundings, got it?" Kazuko nodded.

When they reached Hakase's home, they dumped their bags on the couch and sat as if they were so tired. Agase-hakase came out from the kitchen with a smile plastered on his face. "Welcome home, Ai-kun, Kazuko-kun!" When he saw Conan as well, he greeted him too. "Oh, Shinichi! I didn't think you'd be coming here! How are you lately? I heard from the two girls that you fought the organization a few weeks ago."

Conan yawned first before answering. "I'm so tired, I don't know why but this day took a toll out of me. What's more, we won that battle, but a few members managed to escape with a helicopter. Who knows what they're planning up their sleeve."

"That's what I have heard from those two. But on the bright side, you did manage to get information about the drug, according to Ai-kun."

"Yeah, I did." A sudden ring of the doorbell interrupted their conversation and before Ai could even stand up, Hakase was already at the door. He opened it and allowed the person to come in, which was Ryuuichi. The boy sat beside Conan on the couch as he put his hands on the pockets of his jacket. "What are you doing here?" asked Conan. Ryuuichi looked at him first before taking out both of his hands which held their Detective Boys' badges. Conan raised an eyebrow at him. "Why do you have our badges?"

"I upgraded them," the prodigy replied. "Now you can talk to each other even farther than before, and all of them now has the same voice-changing abilities like your bowtie." The two girls widened their eyes in surprise before taking their badges. Conan took his badge as well before Ryuuichi placed the others on the table in front of him. "Can I have your specialized magnifying glass?"

"Why?"

"I'll try upgrading it. I was hoping to add a small speaker on it so it can 'tell' you everything you need to know on an object you scan it with. Also, I'll make it analyze the fingerprints with more detail, that way it'd be more easier to determine whose prints is it. I've also started working on your spare tracking glasses to make it scan even larger areas and to make it last longer." This made Conan think about the perks that he would receive if his magnifying glass was upgraded. Cases would be easier to solve and since the mystery behind both the DS and BO is still at large, he would surely need the extra help.

"You can count on Ryuuichi-kun, Shinichi! " Hakase piped up. "That boy caught me off guard with his knowledge in technology and I think he might be able to help me in my failed inventions!" With a smile, Conan gave the prodigy his magnifying glass and smirked.

"I really hope you'll upgrade that. I'm starting to think that we don't have much time before the BO strikes again, anyway." Ryuuichi returned a smirk of his own.

Suddenly, Hakase snapped his fingers. "That's right! Ai-kun, could you help me in the kitchen?" The auburn-haired girl looked at him. "An old friend of mine celebrated her birthday last Sunday and she gave me half of her chocolate cake. Could you help me preparing it since the four of you are here?"

Ai got off the couch and crossed her arms. "All right, but don't think you'll be eating some of it too, unless you want to have diabetes," she stated, causing Hakase to cry anime tears, bringing laughs to the four teens. When Ai went to the kitchen to help Hakase, Kazuko stood up.

"Excuse me, I gonna to head to my room. I need to check on something," she said as she went upstairs. Ryuuichi just stared at her as if he was hypnotized. Finally, when he saw her walk inside her bedroom, the prodigy wiped the sweat off his forehead and took a deep breath, making Conan smirk at his actions. He stood up but before he could walk away, Conan's words stopped him.

"I wish you two luck together." Ryuuichi looked at him and nodded, before heading upstairs.

When Ai and Agasa-hakase came back, they only saw Conan sitting on the couch, playing with his phone, while Kazuko and Ryuuichi were nowhere to be found. Ai put down the tray she was holding, which had 4 plates of chocolate cake, down on the small table before speaking. "Where is Fujimoto-kun and Nomura-san?" she asked.

Conan spoke without even taking his eyes off his phone. "I think you can take a good guess on where those two are," he replied. Ai raised an eyebrow before her face blushed fifty shades of red. Just as she was about to speak again, the door to Kazuko's room open, and squeals of happiness immediately filled the house. Hakase and Ai widened their eyes as soon as they saw Kazuko clinging onto Ryuuichi's right arm, with a huge smile printed on her face. Ryuuichi, on the other hand, simply blushed while looking away. Conan smirked at him, causing the prodigy to scoff at his friend.

"What happened to you two?" asked Hakase.

"Ryuuichi-kun asked me out!" squealed Kazuko.

"Really?" asked Ai, as she looked at Ryuuichi. The boy just shrugged his shoulders in response. "Congratulations, then. I knew you two would end up each other." Hearing this made the newfound couple blush even more. "So are you two just going to stand there or are you gonna sit here? These cakes won't eat themselves, you know." The two sat down, as well as Ai, then the four teens started eating, while a very envious but happy scientist watched on.

After another hour of talking and intermingling with each other, Conan and Ryuuichi stepped out of the gate, ready to go home. Ryuuichi stretched his arms and yawned. "When is your date again?" asked Conan.

"This Saturday. Don't even think of hosting a double date, I don't want anybody else with us. Maybe some other time, but not on our first date, you good with that?"

To be honest, Conan was going to ask if they could have a double date. Seeing that Ryuuichi had already warned him, there's no point in asking his friend anymore. "Sure. Just give me the full details, okay?" Ryuuichi just shrugged his shoulders. Conan raised his fist and the prodigy accepted the fist bump before they waved their arms goodbye. While Ryuuichi walked away, Conan was frozen in his place, staring at his original home. 'That place hasn't changed a bit,' he thought. 'Better get home to the agency.' He turned around yet he couldn't continue walking as if he was glued to where he was. 'Ok, fine. It wouldn't hurt to go back to where I really live.' The boy looked at his watch and saw that it was 2:37 in the afternoon. 'Just a quick visit then I'm going back.' He started to head for his home's front gate and opened it. He brought out a spare key given to him by his parents and opened the door. He scanned the living room. 'Yep, nothing has changed.' He went to the couch, dropped his bag and sat there, but he didn't know that there was another person following him closely. 'It's been a while since we visited Gin. I think I'll pay him a visit tomorrow, and I'll try to ask him more about the –' A sudden voice stopped Conan in his thoughts.

"Tantei-kun," said a voice from behind him.

"AAAAAGGGHHH!" the boy screamed in fear as he stood up and turned around to see who was speaking. The boy's eyes widened upon seeing Okiya Subaru A. K. A. Shuuichi Akai raising an eyebrow on him. "Taku, you scared the heck out of me!" the boy said as he took a seat on the opposite couch.

"Sorry," said Akai as he took a seat on the couch as well. "I need to talk to you. It's about the Black Organization." Conan instantly nodded and lent his ears to the man in glasses.

Akai pushed his glasses back to his face. "The FBI has heard of your battle against the BO, and on behalf of the whole agency, we congratulate you on defeating them." Conan nodded once again. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Conan raised an eyebrow. "Our sources have stated that more and more children are disappearing by the second." The boy's eyes widened. What did he mean? "We don't know how, or when, or why, but we think that the Black Organization have something with these mysterious disappearances."

"B-but how does the organization relate to this? There haven't been any news about missing children! When did the disappearances start anyway?"

Akai shook his head. "Tantei-kun, Japan is not the only one affected."

Conan's eyes widened more. "What?!"

"There have been mysterious disappearances in other countries as well. I assume that you already know who Mizunashi Rena is, right? A former member of the BO who was also a reporter." The detective nodded. "She's an FBI agent now, and she's currently working at America. She informed us here that children there are disappearing fast. Our sources in Chile, France, India, and Australia have also reported children who have gone missing." This caused the boy's mouth to hang open. "Right now, the whole world is at stake and everyone will be in danger if we don't make a move fast."

The boy stood up from his seat and walked over to where Akai was. "What can I do to help?"

"We know that you managed to capture Gin during the siege of Mt. Fuji. I must say that I am impressed with your decision on letting him live, considering what all the things he has done to you. What's more, he can be the source of vital information needed for us to defeat the BO. I want you to go to him and ask what he knows about the organization, it'd be outrageous if he says that he doesn't know more about them, because he still has the memories with the organization implanted in him. Make sure he tells you something, okay?" Conan nodded. "Good, the FBI thanks you for your cooperation. You can go now, and take care." Conan picked up his school bag and proceeded out the door. The shrunken detective was in deep thought on his way home.

'How can we be so stupid?' he thought to himself. 'It never occurred to me that the BO would take this war even to other countries… I can't believe I'm saying this, but Gin is our only hope now. If he has even the slightest bit of information regarding the organization, it could be just be what we need to bring them down. However, I still doubt his allegiance. I still don't think that we can fully trust him yet.' The boy stroked his chin. 'But everything must be taken into account. I just hope that he cooperates with me tomorrow.'

A few more minutes later, the boy finally reached the detective agency that he considered home. He opened the door and saw Mouri in his usual spot on his desk, drinking beer. Ran wasn't there, so surely she was upstairs. He decided to leave the old drunk in his seat and headed to their loft upstairs. "Tadaima!" he called out as he placed his school bag in his bedroom. He sat on the couch and Ran came out of the kitchen.

"Conan-kun!" she said. "How was school?" The boy simply shrugged his shoulders. "I have good news to tell you!"

"What is it, Ran-neechan?"

"Oto-san had another date with okaa-san last Saturday!" she said in a cheerful voice. "And I'm starting to think that okaa-san will live with us again soon! Our family will finally be complete!"

'Hehe, I don't know whether to be happy for the old man, or just pretend that I don't care. Wait a second, if Ran's mom wants to live here again, then I better move out of this agency. It's already too much of a burden for Ran and the old man to be taking care of a child whom they have no relation to for the past year. Well, that is if she really moves back in with her family. In the meantime, I should enjoy every little time I have left in this place.' "I'm happy for you, Ran-neechan!" the boy cried, earning a warm smile from Ran.

"Also, I think you know that I'm done with Shinichi, right?" Conan nodded. "Eisuke-kun asked me out earlier!" The boy's eyes widened.

'He's back? Since when? Has he joined the CIA yet? Never mind. You better treat her right, Eisuke… I know you love Ran and I know you're a good man, but just to be sure, I'm gonna have a private talk with you the next time we meet.' "Congratulations, Ran-neechan! I'm so happy for you and Eisuke-niichan!" The boy smiled warmly, causing Ran to almost tear up. She pulled him in for a hug, which the boy happily accepted.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Conan-kun. You're the best brother I could ever ask for."

 **The Next Day…**

Conan Edogawa started to head to the police station using his skateboard immediately after setting down his school bag at the agency. The looks of determination could be clearly seen in his face. 'Okay, this is it. Gin better answer my questions; which I know he will, because he said he'd do whatever it takes to bring the organization down, and that won't happen if he doesn't cooperate.' Upon reaching the place, he immediately went to the Meeting room, where him and his friends went first when they were going to interrogate Gin for the first time. Luckily, Megure-keibu was just outside the door talking to Takagi.

"Oh, Kudo-kun!" said the inspector as soon as he caught the glimpse of the boy. "What can I do for you?"

Conan leaned his skateboard on the wall and wiped sweat off his forehead. "I need to talk to Gin. Something terrible has happened behind our backs and he has vital information which is highly necessary."

"What happened?" asked Takagi.

"I'll tell you both on the way." The two policemen nodded, as they led the boy to Gin's cell. They were shocked to find out that the FBI has reported that children have been disappearing in different countries around the world, including Japan. As soon as they got to their destination, the two policemen stayed from a distance while Conan stood just outside the cell.

Gin was in a sitting position looking at the ground. His eyes looked up to see the high school detective that he failed to kill. "Well, well, well, Kudo Shinichi has come to visit me in my lonely cell," he said. "What brings you here? Do you have any news for me?"

"I'm going to talk to you about the organization," Conan replied in a neutral tone.

"Go on."

"Do you have an idea on what is going on? Right now, children have been disappearing all over the world. Japan isn't the only one who is sucked in this conflict, even the United States, Australia, and France. Is the organization somehow involved in this? Are they planning something?"

It took a few seconds before Gin spoke again. "Maybe they are the ones behind those disappearances." The boy's eyes widened. "Considering that you defeated them a few weeks ago, they must be out for revenge. However," hearing Gin say that last word made Conan raise an eyebrow. "Since you nearly wiped out every member of the organization in Mt. Fuji, only a few remain. And with few men, I highly doubt that they would be able to kidnap children in different countries that fast…"

"Then the BO must he working with another syndicate!" Takagi proposed, earning a nod from Megure-keibu.

Overhearing what the two policemen said, Gin crossed his arms and snorted. "Maybe they are. I never thought I'd see the day that the notorious Black Organization seek help from another syndicate!" Gin started to cackle, which scared the boy a bit. Deciding to get back on track, Conan continued.

"Let's say the organization is working with another syndicate. I need one more thing from you before I go." Gin raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any information to share about the BO? You were one of the highest-ranking members, right? Surely you must know vital information about them. We need that information to defeat them, and from what I recall, you said that you'd do anything to bring the organization down."

Gin smirked. "That I did. Let's see…" The former BO member stroked his chin as he thought of what to say. After a full minute of thinking, he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to say to you." The boy's eyes widened and before he could protest, Gin spoke again. "You could get information yourself."

"What are you talking about?"

"Before our HQ moved to Mt. Fuji, the original base was on an island in the Northeastern part of Japan. It's one of the three islands found there, and you could go to it by ship from the mainland."

The looks of determination once again flashed in Conan's eyes. "What's the name of the island?"

"Ryouka. The other islands are Akane and Izu. The old base is also underground, but before you go to pack up and leave, there's something you need to know." Conan lent his ears once again to listen. "The organization chose that island for a reason. Ryouka is also known as "The Cursed Island" and only a few people have the guts to buy a trip going there, since it was rumored that nobody has ever gotten out of the island alive. That rumor is somehow true, because when a person gets too near to the base, a member would come out and kill him/her. If you bring a few people along with you, then it'd be safer to infiltrate the base. The reason why we never cleared it of the information it has was because Ano Kata was confident that nobody would ever find it and that people are too scared to go to the island. That's all."

"One more thing. How can you be sure that they aren't there? I mean, they could go back to using that old base as their HQ again."

"Think about it. Do you think it's safe for them to stay at Japan after experiencing defeat? Right now, Vodka and the others should be in another country. But just to be sure, I told you earlier to bring a few people along to be safe."

The boy grinned at him, causing Gin to raise an eyebrow. "Arigato, Gin." Hearing those words made the former BO member widen his eyes as he watched Conan leave with the two policemen. Nobody has ever thanked him before; however, he was actually given thanks but it was regarding evil things, and this was the first time that he was thanked because of good intentions. Gin was left in his cell thinking about what just happened.

"I could give you a ride back home if you want to, Kudo-kun," said Takagi as Conan took his skateboard.

"No thanks, I need to head somewhere important anyway," replied Conan.

"Thank you for informing us, Kudo," said Megure. "We'll be more cautious about the children here from now on because of what you told us." Conan grinned and skated his way out of their view.

The boy immediately headed to his old house and immediately went inside. "Akai-san?" he called out, to no response. "Akai-san?" he called out again, but nothing happened again. The boy sat down on the couch and decided to wait for Akai to show up. And just as he was about to use his phone, a voice scared him again.

"Tantei-kun," Conan stood up, startled and saw Akai raising an eyebrow at him, just like last time he was there.

"Why do you have to keep scaring me like that?" Conan asked.

"Sorry," replied Akai. "I was eating at the dining room." The FBI agent took a seat on the couch. "So have you asked Gin about what we discussed yesterday?"

"Yeah. He said that the organization should be behind the disappearances of children. However, he stated that with the lack of members considering what the battle that took place at Mt. Fuji, we drew the possibility that they might be working with another syndicate."

Akai stroked his chin and shook his head. "That's what's worrying me the most. Our worst fears have been realized. So now we have two enemy groups that we have to eliminate." It took a full minute for Akai to speak again. "Did Gin tell you anything else?"

"He also said that the BO had a former base on an island named Ryouka located at the Northeast of Japan. He said that was the original base before they moved to Mt. Fuji. I'm planning to go there with my detective friends and gather information about the base ourselves."

Akai crossed his arms. "Well done. I never expected Gin would be helping us in bringing the BO down. I approve of your intention to go to their HQ at the island, but I could ask James to have an agent to go with you on your trip, that way, it'd be safer."

"No, it's okay. We have it under control. Thanks all the same." Akai nodded.

"Just give me a call if something bad happens. The FBI is willing to help you because our intentions our one and the same." Conan grinned as he headed out the door. He started to walk back towards the agency, as he was going to make two phone calls with his best buddies.

'Ah, I love my life,' he thought to himself happily.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Can you pay for our trip, Kaito?"**_

 _ **"Don't blame me!"**_

 _ **"What are you doing here?"**_

 _ **"Welcome to the island of Ryouka!"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 32: THE CURSED ISLAND, PART 1**_

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 _ **Stay tuned for the next chapters! We have a huge three-part mystery case coming up next and if you think you can help me come up with a case, then feel free to PM me! I was glad that this chapter wasn't that hard to write and it took quicker than I expected, I could only hope for the best for the next chapters. What a debut for the FBI with Akai Shuuichi representing the whole agency! Watch how they help in the war against the organization in the upcoming chapters! Thank you for the support and see you next time!**_

 _ **-Lance**_


	32. The Cursed Island, Part 1

_**My grades aren't out yet so I had to act fast. The first of the biggest chapters in this fanfic is here! This was certainly hard to write, what more for the next two chapters? But because of my never-ending desire to write and continued support from you guys, I was able to finish this. I'm gonna have a poll in my FB page about what fanfic will I write next. It's certainly hard to pick between a few choices because I am itching to write them all! Anyway, here are my possible choices:**_

 _ **-Fairy Tail (NaLu/Jeredy… not a big fan of Jerza)**_

 _ **-Musaigen no Phantom World (HaruhikoxHarem… I love the three girls there!)**_

 _ **-Naruto (Any pairing)**_

 _ **-IABH's sequel**_

 _ **-New DC fanfic (ShinShi/HeijixKazuha)**_

 _ **I have posted the poll in my page, and if you can, vote for what fanfic would you like me to write next. I really hope that you readers would cooperate, otherwise I'm picking for myself. Going back to this story, an uncle of mine, who is an illustrator for an anime (not sure what it was), described that my idea of turning Gin into a good guy as "shocking", and an "attractor for new readers". Well, obviously, he was right about that. If you have the time, please review! I don't know when I will be able to update again, but I guarantee that it won't take a year!**_

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Conan walked into their loft with a tired face. "Tadaima!" he called out as he went to his bedroom without any other word. He threw his school bag to the side as he lunged at his bed and stared at the ceiling. 'Things at the moment are too much for me to even handle at once. Just after beating the organization, we yet have another mission! Well, technically, I accepted the honor of searching their old base for more clues. Man, I don't even know why I said that to Akai-san, I could've let the FBI handle it. Well, first is because I'm an idiot, and my pride is too big.' He chuckled at those last thoughts. 'I could bring Ai and the others with me, but unfortunately, she is too busy working on the antidote. Ryuuichi and Kazuko will no doubt refuse as well because they have a date this Saturday and today is Wednesday.' An image of his two best friends appeared in his mind. 'Considering those two idiot best friends of mine have near-unlimited vigor, they'll surely have energy for the whole trip. I just hope they'll agree to come with me. Cause who knows? They get tired as well…' A knock on his bedroom door cut him out of his thoughts. "Come in!" he stated. The door opened and Ran poked her head inside.

"Conan-kun," she began. "Don't you think it's a bit rude to just lie down on your bed the whole afternoon?" He raised an eyebrow, wondering what the hell was she talking about. "Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan just arrived and you're not going to at least greet them?" His eyes widened at her question. "If you're not outside in one minute, you won't get anything to eat for dinner!" She closed the door, leaving the boy to his thoughts.

'For once, you actually had perfect timing, Hattori… and I'm actually glad that you went here right now, you saved me a phone call.'

The boy went outside and saw Heiji sitting beside Kazuha facing the opposite couch which Ran sat on. As soon as Heiji saw him, the Osakan detective waved his arm. "Yo, gaki!" he called. "Long time no see, how you been?"

Conan did not respond; instead, he went to his friend and grabbed his arm. "Let's go to my room, Heiji-niichan!" he said, sneaking a quick wink which Heiji didn't miss. "I need to ask you something important!"

"All right," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. The two headed for Conan's bedroom and once they got there, the boy immediately closed the door while Heiji sat on his bed. "So what's on your mind, Kudo? It must be really important since it seems like you're itching to tell me."

Conan sat down beside his friend as his bangs covered his eyes. "The Black Organization has done something terrible behind our backs, Hattori."

Heiji raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"They've been abducting children. Many families have reported that they have missing kids who never came home."

"Hang on. What are you talking about? Kidnapping children? There's nothing on the news that says –" He was cut off by Conan's voice.

"Akai Shuuichi of the FBI spoke to me yesterday. He told me that their sources from USA, France, and many other countries, have all reported missing children. If you put it together, Hattori, Japan isn't the only one involved now. The organization is surely plotting to get their revenge."

The Osakan detective stroked his chin. "You got a point there. Have you told Kuroba about this yet?"

"I'm planning to tell him later. But now, I still have some things to tell you." Heiji nodded. "I talked to Gin earlier at the station." Heiji's eyes widened. "I asked him if the organization was somehow connected to the mysterious disappearances all over the world, and he said that there is no doubt that the BO are the ones responsible. But he also said that with the number of members left after we took out their base, it would be impossible to commit so many kidnappings in a short amount of time. So we came up with the possibility that they're joining forces with another syndicate. I suspect it to be the Dragon Syndicate, since we never really knew if we defeated them or not. Do you have any info regarding the DS? If you say that there are no corpses found in the crash site of the Boss's chopper or in any other place, there's a high chance that they still exist and that they may be working with the BO, considering that they were transaction partners in the past."

Heiji thought about his for a whole minute before shaking his head, much to Conan's disbelief. "Oyaji has no leads yet on the DS, but we do know that there's no trace of bodies at the crash site. Also, there hasn't been a sign of any rogue members from the DS ever since we captured the BO member that attacked me. That could only mean one thing."

"Ryujin and the Boss escaped. Which also means that there is a high chance that they're working with the BO right now. Considering that they are powerless since their defeat, the only option they have now is to join forces with another dangerous syndicate."

"But why are they kidnapping children? What's the purpose? Shouldn't they be laying low and avoiding to draw attention to themselves?"

"We can't fully answer that question yet, Hattori. For now, let's focus on the BO, because I have something important to tell you." Heiji nodded. "I also talked to Gin earlier." His friend's eyes widened. "I tried asking him for more information regarding the BO since he was still a high-ranking member of the organization." After the boy's words, silence took over the room, but the Osakan detective broke the silence in the room.

"Then? Did he say something to you?"

Conan said nothing, and shook his head instead. Heiji narrowed his eyes and just as he was about to say that he was going to go to Gin to give him a taste of his own medicine, Conan's voice once again stopped him in his tracks. "However, he did tell me about an island. An island where the BO's first base was built. He told me that information regarding the syndicate could be found there."

"What island?"

Conan stood up and faced his friend. "He told me that their first HQ was on an island named Ryouka near the northern part of Japan. He also said that very few people have the guts to go there, since it was known as 'The Cursed Island'. So I'm planning on taking you and Kaito along with me to investigate further." Hearing this made Heiji groan in irritation and lie down on the bed.

"Another mission for us? We've been so busy for the past month!"

"Oi, oi! Don't talk like you're the one who's busy! Remember that you were out for a week which led to me and Kaito doing the hard work. In fact, I should be the one complaining right now!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! So when do we leave?"

"I figured it would be best to leave two days from now. You and Kazuha-chan are just here to visit, correct?" Heiji shrugged his shoulders. "Good, then we'll call Kaito and tell him about the island. Of course, he'll accept because if he won't, I'll threaten him. Afterwards, you and your girlfriend can go back to Osaka so you could pack up. That good?" Heiji nodded. "Then let's tell Kaito." Conan brought out his phone and dialed Kaito's number.

"What's up, Shinichi?" asked the receiver.

"Can you pay for our trio, Kaito?" replied Conan.

"Trip? What the heck are you talking about?"

"Gin told me about their first HQ being on an island before they moved to Mt. Fuji…" As the boy continued talking while Heiji watched on, the two didn't notice that the door to Conan's room opened slightly.

"…so that's why we need to go to the island. Do you think you can spare some money to pay for our overall trip?" was the last statement Kazuha heard before she went to her thoughts.

'Heiji and Conan-kun are planning to go on a vacation? And they're taking Kuroba-kun with them? What the heck are they thinking?! Planning something totally amazing without even thinking of me nor Ran-chan!' An idea struck her mind before she smirked evilly. 'I know just what to do!' She then headed for the kitchen, where Ran was preparing their dinner; she had something planned in her mind.

 **Same time, Kaito's mansion…**

Saguru wondered why Kaito was taking too long with a simple phone call. He told him that he was going to make it quick by postponing the call that was directed to him. The former magician even stopped their ongoing chess game to answer his call. Curious and pissed off at the same time, he went to his friend who was in the kitchen.

By the time he got there, he heard something from Kaito that took his interest. "…no, Spider and Snake haven't made an appearance ever since the Pandora Gem got destroyed." Hearing two names that had his interest the most, he decided to eavesdrop on his friend. Kaito was near to the back door, facing the faucet and leaned on the refrigerator. Silently and carefully, Saguru made his way behind his friend just so he could keep track of the conversation. "…so let me get this straight," Kaito continued. "Gin told you that their first HQ was on an island, correct?" Saguru wondered who in the hell was 'Gin' and who was Kaito talking to. "And you want to investigate the HQ so we could bring the Black Organization down?"

Saguru's eyes widened. 'He knows about the Black Organization?' he thought. 'If he does, then he must have information regarding Spider and Snake! Oh my, this is getting interesting.'

"We're leaving two days from now?" Silence took over for a few seconds before Kaito spoke again. "So, we're meeting at Beika station, huh? Okay, but you owe me one, Shinichi. And I'm also referring to you Heiji…" Kaito finished with a low growl.

Seeing that the conversation was going to be over soon, Saguru sneaked away and headed back to the living room deep in thought. 'Shinichi… I've heard of that name before. If I recall, he was the high school detective from Tokyo who suddenly disappeared all of a sudden. Now, Kuroba-kun can contact him. They seem to be friends, and he was also talking to Heiji-kun, meaning that Kudo Shinichi is with Heiji-kun right now… more importantly, how does Kuroba-kun know about the Black Organization? Even though we're in good terms, I never told him about the organization that I'm chasing after. And he also knows about Spider and Snake, but the only ones who know about those two are the police, me and Kai—' he suddenly stopped in his thoughts as realization struck him. 'So that's how it is. I always said that he could be the one, but I never expected it to be true.' The blonde detective stroked his chin as he sat at his chair earlier, facing the chessboard where he and Kaito were playing earlier. 'If he knows about the BO, then Kudo Shinichi and Heiji-kun know about them as well. Going back to what he said, a man called 'Gin' told the two that the first HQ of the BO was on an island… then that means there must be a new HQ…' He then rubbed his forehead because of too much information going into his mind. 'I'll figure everything out… by following Kuroba-kun. I can't follow everything that has happened easily, so I should go with them to that island. After all, we are fighting the same enemy here.' He was then cut off from his thoughts when he saw Kaito scratching his hair as he sat back down on his chair.

"Sorry if I took long, Hakuba… it was a really important call from a friend and I needed to talk with him properly."

Saguru faked a smile. "It's fine." He then looked at his watch. "Would you look at the time, I must get going. I have some things to take care of." He stood up while Kaito raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you ok?"

"Of course. I'm apologize that we can't continue our chess game any further."

"No worries."

"See you." Saguru then walked out of the door, and as he walked away, he glanced one more time at the mansion of his friend. 'Two days from now, Kuroba-kun is meeting up with Kudo Shinichi and Heiji-kun at Beika Station. They're going to an island where the first HQ of the Black Organization is located.' He then continued walking. 'It's a good thing I know the way to Beika… and even if I show up there, they'll be forced to let me come along since their whole trip would be wasted. After all, I'm a detective as well, so they'll need all the help they can get. Kuroba-kun, or should I say Kaitou Kid, just how mysterious could you possibly get? You never cease to surprise me or catch me off guard.' He stopped walking when he saw Aoko Nakamori sitting at a bench nearby. He was debating to himself whether or not to flirt with her even for a little bit. Saguru shook his head. 'No, I don't think I should flirt with her… Kuroba-kun would be so pissed.' He was about to continue walking when he heard his name getting called. He turned his head to see who was calling him.

"Hakuba-kun! Hakuba-kun!" called Aoko from the bench. She beckons him to come closer with her hand while Saguru just shrugged his shoulders and went to the bench.

'Oh, well. Don't blame me, Kuroba-kun.' Little did Saguru know that his life would change for the better after having a conversation with the girl in front of him.

 **Minutes earlier, Mouri Detective Agency…**

"What has gotten into you, Kazuha-chan?" asked Ran as she set down the pot of soup on the table. "Conan-kun would never plan something as big as that! Maybe it was Hattori-kun who's inviting Kuroba-kun to go to an island…"

"Either way," replied Kazuha. "Don't you want to come, Ran-chan? I mean, those three are planning a vacation to an island, it wouldn't hurt to have fun, right?"

"Did they even say that we're coming along with them?" Ran put her hands on her hips.

"No, and that is what pissed me off." Ran widened her eyes. Heiji, who loved his girlfriend with all his heart, didn't plan on taking her along with him to a vacation? "That's why I thought of getting revenge on them for not inviting the both of us by going with them! So what do you say?"

A vein appeared on Ran's forehead. "Conan-kun," she snarled. "How dare he not invite me to a vacation at an island? I'm supposed to be with him always since he's like a brother to me! Ok, I'm in. Let's crash their party."

"Good!" squealed Kazuha. "Come on, let's go listen to their talking, I haven't heard about the place where they're going to meet up yet." Ran nodded and the two sneaked back to the outside of Conan's bedroom. They sneaked a peek and they saw that they were still conversing on the phone.

"We're meeting up in Beika Station, ok?" spoke Conan. "We're leaving two days from now and be sure to pack up. I have a feeling that we're staying at the island for more than a day." Ran and Kazuha sudenly grinned evilly before Heiji took the phone from the boy and spoke.

"Be sure to pay for it, Kuroba. After all, you're the rich kid here." There was a pause. "No, don't worry about Ran-chan and Kazuha. They don't know about our trip, and we could just make something up while we're gone."

Realizing what they've heard was enough, Ran and Kazuha looked at each other and winked before heading back to the dining table. At the same time, Conan and Heiji went out of the room and sat around the table. They noticed the weird looks on the two girls so Heiji decided to ask about it. "Hey, what's wrong with you two? Sick or something?"

Kazuha genuinely smiled at him. "It's nothing, Heiji. Ran-chan and I were just talking about girly stuff." Heiji shrugged his shoulders. However, Conan still had looks of suspicion on his face as he did not believe what Kazuha was saying. But the two girls were simply quiet and made sure that Conan and Heiji won't be able to know what they were planning. Above it all, the two girls also didn't know that somebody heard what they were talking about from outside, as he flashed a huge grin on his face.

 **The Next Day…**

Conan decided to go to Hakase's home to tell Ai and Kazuko what he and his best friends were planning to do. He didn't want his girlfriend to worry about him anymore like what happened when he left to fight the BO. And besides, Ai told him that it's fine with her if he wants to protect her. Heiji and Kazuha have already left and Heiji told him that he'll be early to go to Beika Station on Sunday. As soon as he reached the front door, he knocked and just as he expected, the auburn-haired scientist was holding the door open for him. "Morning," he began, as he wrapped his arms around her and she did the same.

"What brings you here so early?" she replied, crossing her arms.

"Can we sit at the couch? I need to talk to you and Kazuko-chan." Taking a quick scan around him, the rich teenager was nowhere to be found. "Where is she, by the way?"

"Upstairs reading her books. Go on and sit at the couch. I'll make her come down and I'll make us coffee." Realizing that there was one more person missing from the scene, Conan was about to say something, but Ai beat him to it. "If you're gonna ask about Hakase, he's still asleep." Conan kept his mouth shut and just sat on the couch.

Once Ai came back with three cups of coffee, she sat down beside Kazuko as Conan cleared his throat. "Yesterday, I talked to Gin." He first paused to see if Ai would react, but she just had her poker face on. Thinking it was okay, he continued. "I asked him to tell me more information about the organization, and he told me about an island where their first HQ was located."

Suddenly, Ai spoke. "First? What do you mean? Mt. Fuji isn't their HQ?"

Conan shook his head. Something then sparked in his mind. "Come to think of it, did you have an idea that Mt. Fuji was their HQ? You were once a part of them, right?"

Ai shook her head. "I was never invited to the main HQ. Only high-ranking officials and members are allowed to go there. All the places I've stayed and done research in were simple warehouses and abandoned factories. If I did, I would've told you about it."

"I see. Anyway, as I was saying, there is an island at the northern part of Japan named Ryouka." Upon hearing the island's name, Ai raised an eyebrow. "That island is where their HQ was located. Like in the mountain, Gin told me that the base was underground."

"Shinichi-kun," said Kazuko. "Are you even sure that Gin is telling you the truth? I mean, he could be lying about where the HQ is to mislead us. And are you even sure that there is still an underground base there? I mean, the organization is too smart to leave big clues regarding them."

"About Gin lying, I'm still looking into that. About the base, however, he told me that the island is known as "The Cursed Island." Hearing Conan's last statement made Ai widen her eyes. "From the name itself, people are too scared to go there due to the rumors that nobody has escaped the island alive, but there are still ships departing for the island until now."

Suddenly, Ai stood up. "Of course! Everything makes sense to me now!"

"What are you talking about, Ai-chan?"

"My sister once told me about a legend regarding three brothers when I was young. The first brother was very lucky throughout his entire life, the second brother was cursed, and he did not become lucky for once during his life. The third did not believe in any luck at all. Everything is attainable through hard work according to him. Their names are Akane, Ryouka, and Izu, respectively. Since she was a part of the organization at the time, of course she knew about that legend." Conan and Kazuko's eyes widened.

"So that's why it's known as the Cursed Island!" Ai nodded, and Conan stroked his chin. "So those three islands are somehow associated with luck. Do you have any information about the other islands then?"

Ai sat down once again to explain. "Akane is a home to worshippers, according to my sister. The people there strongly believe in the legend, and they even built a few temples to honor the brother of luck, Akane. Whereas Izu is still habitable by people. I remember Akemi-nee telling me that Izu is the home to a few villages. There isn't much technology there, mainly because the island was named after the hardworking brother. However, she didn't speak a word about the island of Ryouka to me."

"Maybe it's because Akemi-san wanted to protect you, Ai." He was expecting her to cry at any moment now, but the tears never came to her. He was surprised to see that she just nodded without any sad expression at all. Normally, when she talks about her sister, it will always be with tears, sniffles, and whimpering. But this time, no tears came. Not even during the time when she saw Gin again. 'She really has changed,' the boy thought to himself. 'She's not the weak crybaby I first net anymore. She's a –' Conan was cut off from his thoughts when he heard chuckling from the staircase. They all turned to see Hakase walking towards them with a smile on his face.

"If that's the case, then why don't you use my computer to search the island?" he suggested. "It was a good thing that Ai-kun knew about the other two, but we need to find out more about Ryouka." The three teens nodded and they went to Hakase's computer and turned it on.

Conan went to the searchbox and typed in, "Ryouka Island". The first result had the island's official website. Seeing it made the four sigh in relief. "Good thing that it wasn't hard to search the island," said Conan, earning a nod from the three people around him. He clicked on the link and brought him to the site.

A background voice spoke. "Welcome to the Island of Ryouka!" There were five tabs for Conan to choose from. Home, Map, Services, Trips, and Accommodation. They wondered why would an island feared by people have services and accommodation. Were there hotels in the island? Or were there people living in it? Conan thought about for a while, before shaking his head. He clicked on the maps tab to see the overall view of the island. But as soon as he clicked on it, the site closed and the computer started to lag. All of their eyes widened as the computer blacked out. All of their minds were thinking the same thing. The site was a virus. Conan face-palmed while Ai and Kazuko comforted a near-to-tears Hakase.

"Damn it," Conan muttered. "We were too hasty… that site must be the work of the organization in case someone ever has plans to go to the island. If someone experiences that, of course he/she will be scared of the island." He snuck a glance at the three, and got off the chair he was sitting on. He walked over to where the three were and he looked down on the ground, feeling completely guilty of what happened. "Sorry… this is all my fault. If I hadn't been too hasty –"

"It's not your fault, Shinichi-kun," said Kazuko. "You just wanted to learn more about the island and you had no idea that the webàsite was a virus. And besides," he went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I bet Ryuuichi-kun can fix the computer! I have faith in him!" They were interrupted by someone's presence.

"You're damn right, I can," announced Ryuuichi as he walked towards his friends. "I heard Hakase's computer was infected by a virus. Am I right?" The four nodded. "Now, how did it become infected?"

"I was checking a website about an island then the computer suddenly lagged, then it suddenly blacked out after a few seconds." Ryuuichi stroked his chin in response.

"Judging on how you described it, it's no problem." This caused Conan, Ai, Kazuko, and Hakase to widen their eyes. "It's just a pesky security alarm-like bug used mostly by IT companies. It's not a real virus, don't worry. The files in Hakase's computer are still safe." A wave of relief flowed through the four. "All I need to do is make a few adjustments with the cords and wires." Hakase nodded and Ryuuichi turned to Conan. "Why were you searching for an island in the first place?"

After Conan explained everything he said to both Kazuko and Ai earlier, from talking to Gin in prison and to planning a trip to Ryouka, Ryuuichi nodded. "Then the BO is smart to create a fake website to scare people away, then. Then I hope you have a safe trip I wish you the best of luck." Conan grinned and headed for the front door. Before he could walk out, Ai grabbed him by his forearm.

"Will you be okay?" she asked, completely worried that something bad might happen to her lover. "Do… do you want to come along with you?"

"No, I want you to stay here where you'll be safe. You also need to keep working on the antidote, remember? Don't worry about me, Hattori and Kaito are more than enough backup for me. Do you get it?" As soon as he saw a few tears escaping from her eyes, he immediately reacted. "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" She then crashed her face to his chest, now fully crying. He patted her back, yet he didn't try to take her crying face away from him.

When she looked up at him with red eyes, he looked at her with eyes of concern and worry. "I just don't want to lose you!" she whispered. "You're the only man I've ever loved and losing you would definitely kill me both in the inside and outside! I've already lost Onee-chan, I don't want to lose you too! What if the BO comes back suddenly? Of course they'll kill you! I was already worried sick when you left for Mt. Fuji but now—" she was silenced after Conan pressed his lips to hers. Not too long after, her eyes closed and she melted into the kiss as their tongues fought for dominance. Feeling too weak from crying, her tongue was immediately overpowered yet she enjoyed it as she moaned into his mouth. After a whole minute, they broke the kiss and they pressed their foreheads together, gasping for air.

"Don't… cry," he whispered in between gasps. "I… don't… want to… see you… crying…" After fully regaining his breath, he was able to speak clearly. "Crying makes you ugly. I told you I want to see you smiling always." Their foreheads separated, much to her disappointment, but then his hand brought her face up, now her eyes were staring directly into his cobalt ones. "Now, smile. You may be known as the 'Ice Queen', but I don't care. I want to see you smile." Slowly, she flashed her rare smile, bringing a grin to the boy's face. Afterwards, they wrapped their arms each other one final time before Conan broke free and stepped outside of the house. He looked at her and grinned. "I'll be back soon, don't worry! I love you!" He waved his arm goodbye as he stepped out of the gate. Even though she didn't say anything as she closed the door, her mind was saying the same thing.

'I love you too, bakane!' she squealed in her thoughts.

 **Two days later…**

Even though Heiji said that he would be the first to come to the station, Conan groaned in irritation as he was sitting on one of the benches there. It has been twenty minutes ever since their meeting time, which was 8 in the morning. Conan swore to himself that he'd smack Heiji in the head for going against his word. Kaito stated that he'd be a little late because of convincing his mom, so Conan understood him. When Conan looked to his left side, he saw Heiji walking towards to where he was with an annoyed look on his face. But Conan paid no attention to his expression as he got off the bench and glared at his friend. "Oi, where have you been?!" said Conan. "You said you'd be here earlier than me!"

"Don't blame me…" Heiji replied in a low tone as he looked to his right side, where Kazuha revealed herself with a smile.

"Ohayo, Conan-kun!" she squealed, catching the boy completely off guard. He took a few steps backwards as his eyes widened.

After a few steps, he stopped walking after realizing something. 'Wait a minute, if she's here, then—' his face then morphed into the same expression that Heiji had on his and at the same time, a familiar voice spoke from behind the boy.

"Ohayo, Conan-kun!" The boy lazily looked to the right to see Ran warmly smiling at him. Conan face-palmed while Heiji sighed heavily.

"Let me guess, you two eavesdropped on what we were talking about yesterday, didn't you?" asked Heiji with irritation evident in his voice. The two girls nodded with a smile. "And you want to come along?" The two nodded again. "I should've known this was happening. Fine, we'll let you tag along." Hearing this made Kazuha squeal in joy as she grabbed on to her boyfriend's right arm while Ran carried her brother and hugged him tight but the two detectives retained the annoyed look on their faces.

"Since you're still a bunch of kids, then I think I should come along with you," said a very familiar voice which caused the four to turn to whoever was speaking. They sweat-dropped at seeing Kogoro dressed in a polo with a floral design and swimming trunks carrying a medium-sized knapsack. "Yosh! Let's go that island!" he declared as he walked towards the train in front of them. Before he could step inside, Heiji grabbed him by the collar, and the train left at the same time, causing the color to drain from Kogoro's face because of missing the train.

"Wait just a moment, we don't even have tickets yet," said Heiji as he released his grip on Mouri's collar. "We're waiting for Kuroba, and I sure hope that magician has enough money to buy a ticket for all of us."

"Don't worry, you all have tickets!" spoke a voice behind Heiji. They all turned to see Kaito holding seven tickets in his hand, causing all of their eyes to widen. The former magician walked towards them with a girl behind him. "I figured that something like this would happen so I bought extra tickets just in case! I even have three extra here in my pocket!"

"Um, Kuroba-kun?" said Ran, catching Kaito's attention. "Who's that girl behind you?"

"Oh! I'd like you to meet," the girl then stood beside Kaito. "Akako Koizumi. She's my girlfriend." Heiji, Conan, Ran, and Kogoro's eyes widened.

'Wow, she's pretty,' Heiji thought.

'Wait, she kinda reminds me of…' an image of Ai appeared in Conan's mind. '… Ai. Well, would you look at that? Looks like Kaito really is my twin brother!' Conan chuckled at the thought.

"Nice to meet you," said Akako as she bowed her head.

Meanwhile, Heiji had a sense that Kazuha might attack Kaito so he held onto the her shirt, and he was right. She was trying to break free of his grip as she kept saying the same words. "What did you do to Aoko-chan?!" she said as a vein appeared on her forehead. "I swear, if you hurt her, I'll break every bone in your body!"

Kaito retained his smile even though it is fake. "Aoko was never my girlfriend, Kazuha-san. I was just exaggerating a bit during that time. You and Ran-san can get to know Akako better while we head to the island." While Heiji kept Kazuha at bay, Ran was the only one who nodded. At the same time, the next train stopped at the station. "Okay then! Let's go to the island!" Everyone cheered, including Kazuha, who stopped trying to attack the former magician, and Akako, whose personality changed due to Kaito. All seven of them went inside, not knowing that someone with blonde and black hair who they know well also went inside the vehicle.

Their whole party was just going to get bigger and bigger.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Why are you two here?!"**_

 _ **"I already know your secret, Kuroba-kun."**_

 _ **"Did you say, 'Cursed'?!"**_

 _ **"We're not the only ones heading to the island."**_

 _ **CHAPTER 33: THE CURSED ISLAND, PART 2**_

* * *

 _ **Phew! Well, that wasn't hard to write. Hakuba now knows that Kaito is KID and he is wondering why he knows about the BO as well as Heiji and Shinichi. Akako has been introduced to the main characters and next chapter, we'll have their journey towards Ryouka Island. Don't forget to vote at my poll in my FB page if you want to decide what my next fanfic will be. Also, I have a little favor to ask. If I get 10 or more reviews before November 20, which is my birthday, I'll post Part 2 of the Cursed Island case before the third part. However, if it is less than 10 or no reviews at all, them you'll just have to wait for me to post both Part 2 and Part 3 at the same day. Part 2 of the Cursed Island case is already ready to be published, so if you can't wait to view it, review, review, REVIEW! It's not too big to ask, even three simple words are enough. But please, try to minimize the flames, cause they don't encourage me. Still, it's up to you! Later!**_

 _ **-Lance**_


	33. The Cursed Island, Part 2

_**I know I went against my word to post if I reach more than ten new reviews but screw it, three is good enough for me. I'm glad I was able to finish this chapter fast because the murder case will happen in Part 3 and I needed time to think of names and what murder method would be used. Sadly, there is only one person who voted in my poll and that is my good friend, Froodle Soup. Seeing that she's the only one who voted, who am I to deny the winning choice? It looks like I'll be writing IABH's sequel after I finish this. But here's the good part. IABH is actually part of a trilogy of fanfics that I've been thinking of ever since I started writing this. Here is the complete trilogy:**_

 _ **-Mystery of the Heart**_

 _ **-I'll Always Be Here**_

 _ **-The Next Generation**_

 _ **I decided to the IABH first before MOTH so that I can surprise you guys about the trilogy. Well now, it isn't a surprise because I am already informing you about it. After this fanfic, I will be working on both the prequel and the sequel at the same time, which will be harder to do since MOTH will be told using the first-person point of view. But I hope IABH would be enough to keep you entertained while I work on them. MOTH is basically about how Conan realizes his true feelings for Haibara and will take place before his phone call with her that started this all. You know, the call where he called her 'babe'? TNG will be about the kids of the main characters and will take place 10 years after the events of IABH, where the main characters won't be Conan and the gang, but rather, their children. If you're excited for TNG, so am I! In the next chapter, I'll show you all the list of the new set of characters for TNG, and they're all OC. But, as a thank you for continued support throughout the year, here are two teaser lines from TNG:**_

 _ **"And we're… the Detective Boys!" they screamed in unison.**_

 _ **"Point Two!" added Shinichi as he raised two of his fingers at the masked men.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Those three fanfics of mine would become true if I owned DC…**_

* * *

The three best friends all sat on the right side as they went in. The three girls sat on the seats opposite to them. Kogoro, however, had a whole seat to himself behind the boys. Even though they were cheering earlier, Conan and Heiji still had the same annoyed look on their faces because of more people joining them on their trip. Kaito raised an eyebrow at the two of them, curious on why they were looking like that. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Something bothering you two?" The two teens lazily looked at him causing the former magician to be more confused.

"We weren't expecting Kazuha and Ran-chan to be coming along, Kuroba," Heiji said as he groaned. "If you add the old man behind us and your girlfriend too, they're included in the 'Unexpected Guest' list."

"Is it really about that? You know, I really don't mind—" He was cut off by Conan before he could speak any further.

"If you don't, well we do," said Conan. "Think of it this way Kaito. If they come along with us, we'd surely have a hard time to search for the underground base since they'll be likely wondering where the heck are we. That's what I figured would happen if they come along. And I certainly don't want to stay on an island that was inhabited by the enemy for too long, that would be dangerous."

"I guess you have a point there," Kaito said as he sweat-dropped. "How long will it take for us to get to that Ryouka island anyway?"

Heiji leaned back on his seat and crossed his arms. "I figured it would take us a day and a half." Kaito widened his eyes. "Considering that we have a long train ride and we are going to board a ship to get there, I'm guessing it will take more than a day for us to get to the island." Kaito nodded in response. "By the way, Kuroba," the Osakan detective pointed to Akako, who was talking to both Ran and Kazuha, sharing giggles and laughter. "Was that the girl you were talking about?"

"Yeah."

"When did you two get together?" asked Conan.

"A few days ago. I asked her out a few weeks before, in case you're gonna ask."

"So what happened with Nakamori-san?"

Kaito looked down on the flooring. He didn't want to go back to this memory. During that time, not only did it hurt Aoko, but it also hurt him at seeing his childhood friend at that state. The former magician sighed first before continuing. "I don't like remembering what happened between the three of us, but I guess I could tell the two of you." His two friends nodded. "Just after Akako and I became a couple, we kissed. Many classmates and schoolmates of ours witnessed what happened and Aoko was one of them. She was just as shocked as everyone else." Heiji and Conan leaned closer to him, suddenly interested on where this was heading to. "A few days after, I confronted her because of her actions. She'd been ignoring me ever since Akako and I kissed, and every time I go near her, she makes up an excuse and leaves."

"Wait, don't tell me she's…"

"Yup. She was jealous and heartbroken. When I talked to her, she admitted that she always had feelings towards me, and she was just too shy to confess. But now, we're on good terms because she already moved on. I still love her, but as a sister."

Heiji then patted Kaito on the back rather hard, causing the latter to nearly drop to the floor. "I'm proud of you, Kuroba! You managed to solve your girl problem by yourself!"

"I didn't ask for you to pat me in the back!" Kaito screamed in front of Heiji's face.

"Hey, I was just congratulating you and don't scream in my face!" Heiji screamed back.

"You wanna go?!" The two of them butted heads together, while Conan sighed and aimed his watch at the two of them.

"If you two don't behave like you're supposed to, I'll put the two of you to sleep." Reluctantly, the two separated everything was quiet once more. "Now, we need to discuss our plans once we get to the island. Now that we have company with us, getting away to search for the base will be a tough thing to do. Any ideas?" Kaito was the first one to speak.

"I could distract everyone by saying that the three of us are planning to scout the island, what do you think about that?" Conan and Heiji thought about it for a moment, before finally nodding, causing the former magician to grin in response. "Okay, here's the plan, we —" before Kaito could say anything else, his eyes widened as soon as he saw the two people entering their cart. Seeing his shocked reaction, Conan and Heiji looked at where he was staring at and their eyes widened as well.

Seeing her boyfriend's strange face, Kazuha looked at where he waa staring too, but she wasn't shocked at all. Instead, she flashed a wide smile and stood up. "Aoko-chan!" she declared, making the two other girls look as well. Aoko Nakamori was waving her left hand at them with a warm smile, while her right hand tightly held the hand of Saguru Hakuba.

Kazuha broke the silence. "What are you two doing here?!"

Aoko giggled. "Hakuba-kun told me that Kaito was treating everybody to a trip at an island. He said that he wanted to come along and since Kaito is my best friend, I doubt he'll mind me coming too… I didn't expect to see all of you here, not even you, Akako-chan!"

Kaito recovered from his shock and stood up with an angry expression on his face. He walked over to Saguru and brought his fist close to his face. "What do you think you're doing?! Why are you holding hands with Aoko?!"

"Are you jealous?" Saguru replied with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"It's called being protective, dumbass. Now answer me!"

"Taku, calm down. In case it's not obvious, we're officially dating now," his statement made everyone widened their eyes more. "And even though you may act like her brother, I doubt that you won't let her do what she wants with her lovelife." Kaito raised an eyebrow in suspicion as he looked at his childhood friend, who nodded in confirmation. Having done a complete 180, the former magician stretched iut his hand for his friend to shake.

"Congratulations, I guess. But you better treat her right, cause if I find out that you do something bad to her, I'll kick your ass all the way to the moon." Saguru accepted the handshake and then Kaito broke away to hug Aoko. "Well, since the two of you are here, and I guess there's no turning back. Welcome to the party… Just sit with whoever you want to sit with because there's still so much time before we leave this brain and get to the ships." Kaito went back to his seat as he witnessed the two putting their bags at the compartment above their seats. Aoko sat with the girls while Saguru sat beside Conan, which is the opposite of him and Heiji. The former magician suddenly raised an eyebrow, starting to suspect why his rival suddenly showed up at a time like this.

 **An hour later...**

Halfway through their first train ride, Kaito decided to speak up, completely suspecting Saguru's presence at a time like this. "All right, tell the truth, Hakuba. Why are you really here?" Saguru raised an eyebrow. "It's totally unlike you to be here and you must have something important in your mind. Spill out the beans, I know you're hiding something."

Saguru crossed his arms and smirked. "It seems that I have underestimated your skills as a detective, Kuroba-kun." Both Conan and Heiji furrowed theur eyebrows together. "Fine, you got me. There is something on this train that attracted me in coming along on this trip."

"Which is?"

"I am truly sorry for how I behaved, but I eavesdropped on your phone call a few days ago." Kaito widened his eyes. "You mean the phone call I had with Heiji?!" Saguru nodded. "W-what did you hear?"

"Nothing much. Although I already about yout secret, Kuroba-kun. I heard you mentioning Spider and Snake on the phone. Then it occured to me that you must be the KID since only me, my father, the police, and the Phantom Thief know about those two. Am I wrong?" Kaito looked down on the floor and shook his head, confirming Saguru's deduction. "I don't know what are your reasons for committing those thefts but that's not what's on my mind right now. I am wondering why you were talking to Heiji-kun and Kudo Shinichi about Spider and Snake. And who is this 'Gin' that told Kudo Shinichi about the first HQ of the Black Organization?" All three detectives widened their eyes. "As you can hear from me, my mind is completely looking for answers, so tell me the truth. I'm a detective as well, so you can trust me." He turned to look at Kaito. "You don't need to worry about your identity. I won't tell anyone as long as you two answer my questions." Both Kaito and Heiji looked at each other, then turned to Conan, who nodded in response. The two of them took a deep breath before finally speaking up. Nothing will be the same again.

 **10 minutes later...**

Kaito whispered everything needed to explain to Saguru. Starting from his reasons to being Kaitou Kid, to Kudo Shinichi and Heiji getting involved, to the events that has happened ever since the incident at the Pacific Ocean. Finally, he also told him the truth regarding Conan's real identity. "So did you get all of that?" asked Kaito.

"That's a lot to process," replied Saguru as he stroked his chin. "So let me get this straight. You became KID because you wanted to avenge your father's death. Spider and Snake are the ones responsible for it and they are members of the BO. Kudo Shinichi, who is beside me," he looked at Conan. "Got involved because you met him in a heist and you became friends. The BO became had a transaction in Hawaii with the Dragon Syndicate and was witnessed by Kudo-kun. Then not too long after that, you met Heiji-kun and then you managed to defeat the DS a little over a week later. Afterwards, you defeated the Black Organization. Am I correct with what I said?" Kaito nodded, he was expecting more details when Saguru stated his understandings, but he was at least able to get the main idea. "How did you become a kid?" the blonde detective asked Conan. The boy took a deep breath, as it was now his turn to tell the truth.

A few minutes later, Saguru widened his eyes out of shock. "You mean that you actually shrunk into a kid because of a drug?!" Conan nodded. "Very interesting, indeed. Will you ever turn back?"

"I don't want to be Kudo Shinichi again," replied Conan. "I am happy with my life as a kid right now and it won't hurt to have a second childhood. What's more, my girlfriend, who is a victim as well, doesn't plan on turning back too."

"So you're not going to be back in your original body just because your girlfriend won't follow you?"

"No, of course it's not like that! I love her, and I don't want to leave her."

"It's your decision, I suppose. But how about other victims? They'll definitely want an antidote to the drug." Conan then told him about the details regarding APTX 4869, including his lover, Shiho Miyano a.k.a. Ai Haibara. At first, when he told Saguru that Ai was the one who created the drug, the blonde detective was disgusted by Conan's actions of loving a criminal. However, he took it back and apologized after hearing that Ai was forced into creating the drug, and is now working hard to produce the antidote.

"Happy now?" asked Heiji. "We told you everything we know."

"It seems that everything is starting to click in place now. Let me help you in finding the organization's HQ in the island. You're going to need all the help you can get if you want to make sure that the organization is brought down. I promise to never share any information that you have told me to anyone else, not even my father."

"Knock yourself out," Heiji said with a yawn and then he closed his eyes. "You all can keep talking, I want to get some sleep, haven't slept well last night."

"Now that you asked a question and we answered it," Kaito began. "It's your turn now to answer me." Saguru raised an eyebrow. "What happened between you and Aoko? I'm not saying that I am jealous, but how did you two become what you are now?"

Saguru blushed and let out a heavy sigh. "I hould have known that you'd be asking that. Here's what happened…"

 **Flashback**

 _"Hakuba-kun! Hakuba-kun! Hakuba-kun!" Aoko called out as she was sitting on a bench. She was clearly calling for him to come over to where she was._

 _'Oh, well,' Saguru thought. 'Don't blame me, Kuroba-kun.' He then walked over to the bench and sat beside her. He made no move to kiss her hand like always because he knew that Kaito would kill him if he finds out that he flirted with her. "So you got something on your mind, Aoko?"_

 _"Were you at Kaito's house?"_

 _"Yeah, I was. We were just having a chess game."_

 _"Was Akako-chan there as well?"_

 _Saguru thought about it, and he actually there was no sign of Akako being there. "N-no, she wasn't there. Why are you asking?" He leaned in closer to her face._

 _"N-nothing important!" she immediately said with a faint blush staining her cheeks. "I just thought that they would be together today since we have no classes today and that they are a couple now." Saguru widened his eyes. He didn't know anything about Akako and Kaito becoming a couple. The former magician didn't even tell him anything. But if they were together, then what about Aoko? Saguru thought that he liked Aoko. "And I was planning on following them and take pictures of their love!"_

 _Saguru raised an eyebrow at her. Wasn't she in love with Kaito? Being a detective himself, of course he noticed the little hints those two were showing to each other. "Wait, don't you like Kuroba-kun? You aren't affected by him and Akako being a couple?" Aoko looked at him with a blush on her face before nodding. And just when Saguru was about to stand up and beat up Kaito for hurting Aoko, her voice stopped him._

 _"I liked Kaito, maybe even loved him, but I was too late. I was too shy and flustered to admit what I feel. I'm not angry at him, because even if he has Akako-chan, I know that he still loves me. But just not in ths way that I hoped. I'm totally fine with it now, and I fully support their relationship, so you don't need to get angry with Bakaito, 'kay?" She finished with a smile and then she leaned her head on his left shoulder, causing the blonde detective to blush heavily from her sudden action._

 _'What am I gonna do?' Saguru thought to himself. 'Should I push her off? No, she'll get mad.' An idea struck his head, but he kept arguing with himself. 'If I do that, maybe she'll think I'm a pervert or something, but her head's on my shoulder!' After taking one last look at the girl, he came to a decision. 'Screw it. I care about her.' Shakingly, he wrapped an arm around her which ended on her left arm and pulled her closer. She made no move to break away, yet she was blushing heavily as well, completely unknown to the blonde detective. Seeing that she still hasn't broke away from his touch, he let his head rest on top of hers. Aoko's face turned red with embarrassment, and before she could break away from the position they were in, Saguru's voice stopped her. "Aoko, what do you say if we hang out tomorrow?" he asked, breaking away from their position and looking into each other's eyes._

 _"W-what, l-like a d-date?" she replied, fuming with embarrassment._

 _"If th-that's how you w-want to call it."_

 _"Okay." Saguru's eyes widened. He never expected her to accept his proposal to go out on a date. He half expected her to slap him and call him a pervert, but she didn't. "Let's meet up here tomorrow before 12, is that o-okay?" Saguru nodded and she stood up. "T-thank you f-for comforting me," she finished with a quick peck to his cheek, causing both teens to blush furiously. She warmly smiled at him before walking away into the distance. His hand touched the spot in his right cheek where she kissed him, and smiled as well. He stood up, feeling energized to go home. He had a date tomorrow, after all._

 **End of Flashback**

"And that's it, I suppose," Saguru finished, only to find Kaito with his mouth wide open as he stared at his rival. He snapped his fingers in front of the former magician, causing him to snap out of his trance. "What's gotten into you?"

"S-sorry, I was just taken aback by everything that you said." Kaito cleared his throat. "So you two went on a date the next day?" Saguru nodded. "I've had a feeling that you would go after Aoko since I am now with Akako, but you better not hurt her Hakuba. She is important to me and I still love her, but as a sister." Saguru nodded. Just then, Mouri's voice boomed in from behind them.

"You three brats!" he called out, which was also enough for Heiji to wake up from his sleep. What island are we heading to, anyway? You three were the ones who planned this trip, give us the details!" Kaito looked at Conan since he didn't know much about Ryouka island, but Conan just shrugged and smirked. He then turned to Heiji, who was sleeping again, causing Kaito to face-palm with a sigh.

"The island's name is Ryouka," Kaito began. "One of the three islands in Northeastern Japan. From what I recall, the other islands are Akane and Izu. Ryouka is also known as the 'Cursed Island'."

Silence took over the whole group. Ran was the first to speak, but in a terrified voice. "Did you say, 'c-cursed'?!"

"Does that mean bad luck would follow us when we reach the island?" said Kazuha, terrified as well.

"Trust me, there's no such thing as curses! Besides, those three islands are just named after a legend. Even Hakuba can argue here that curses are nothing to be afraid of!" Saguru just nodded in response. When Kaito saw Akako's depressed face, he decided to change the topic. He knew what curses had to do with her past since she was a former witch. "Anyway, stop worrying about pointless matters. And even if any danger happens, I doubt that it would happen if there nine of us! End of discussion!"

 **Meanwhile…**

"Don't even think about eating the chocolates we bought while we're gone," Ai warned Hakase.

"Ai-chan is right," said Kazuko. "You wouldn't want to have a heart disease, right?"

"Oh, don't worry!" Hakase replied. "I won't eat anything! Just be careful while you go to school! Shinichi may be gone to investigate more about the organization, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down!" Ai and Kazuko smiled warmly, before walking away to head to school.

While the two girls left, three pairs of menacing eyes from behind a large bush glared at the old scientist and his house; maybe, just maybe, the bad luck that the island was fabled to have was true, in a way where Conan and the others won't be experiencing directly.

 **Ten hours later…**

The whole group went to the dining cart with all the teen boys, including Conan, sitting on the same table together. Kogoro was suffering because he would be eating with the teenage girls, as Ran didn't want him to be flirting with random women all over the place. The time was 7:56 in the evening and they were ready to eat dinner before getting shut-eye. They were still halfway to their destined station and they would likely reach it the next morning. Saguru was the first to speak between the four. "I am curious to know what would be your plans once we get to Ryouka. We can't just go and search for the HQ immediately when we get there. There has to be a specific time on where we could sneak away to search for it."

"You're right," replied Heiji. "I mean, if I suddenly disappear to search for the underground base, Kazuha might wander off on her own to find me and she could get in trouble."

"We could sneak out at night," suggested Conan.

"What makes you think we can wander the island at night? We don't even know if there is a house there for all of us to sleep in. We could only sneak away while we have a chance." asked Kaito.

"Do you really think that there is no house there?" Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Think about it carefully. Why do you think a ship would be going to the island back and forth on a regular basis carrying tourists if there was no house or hotel there? It's not like tourists only have a one-day stay there, there must be a place where they can stay the night and leave the following morning. As you have said earlier, there's no such thing as curses, which means the island could be inhabitable. There is a high chance that a house or houses could be there."

"Kudo-kun," piped up Saguru. "Let's assume that there really are houses there. How can we possibly sneak off at night? It's a natural thing to lock the front door before going to sleep. If we go out, then we have to leave the front door open or we have to close it without locking because it will definitely seem strange to the others. What's more, one of them could wake up unexpectedly because of thirst or the need to go to the bathroom. That person has a chance to find out about the door." Just then, their food was served on the table and they waited for the waiter to be gone before continuing to talk once more.

"Since it's dark, then that person has no chance of seeing that the door is unlocked, Hakuba," said Kaito as he rested his chin on his hand. "We'll just close it without locking then sneak away. If we are able to pull it off without any mistakes, then we have seven hours of time to find that underground HQ."

"Don't forget that we still have to make sure that everybody is asleep, Kuroba. And I hope they do go to sleep early, otherwise our time for finding the HQ would be cut less." The other three detectives nodded and Heiji crossed his arms then glanced at the girls at their table. "I just hope Kazuha, the old man, and the other girls would wear themselves out the whole day tomorrow. Now let's eat, I'm starving." That was all the three other teens needed to hear before munching down their food as well.

Half an hour later, all of them decided to sleep early since they figured that they might reach the destination they were waiting for, Iizuna station, early in the morning. Like always, Conan shared a room with Kogoro and Ran. Not wanting to be separated from her boyfriend, Kazuha shared with Heiji. Kaito and Akako were in the room beside them, while Saguru and Aoko slept in the room beside Conan's. It was 8:36 in the evening, and everybody was asleep, except for Conan, Kazuha and Heiji.

"How long are you going to stare at me using that face?" asked Heiji, who was lying on his stomach, using his phone and clearly annoyed at Kazuha's expression on her face. She had been teasing ever since she got out of the shower, and Heiji was trying hard not to lose control. She was currently on the side of the bed, staring at her lover.

"Until you break," she purred in his ear. Heiji was getting more and more annoyed because of Kazuha's sudden attitude and that he was starting to lose control.

"If you try to tempt me one more time, Kazuha, you'll be surely getting it. I don't want to do it at a time like this. What's more, the old man and the others still might be awake and it'd surely embarrass you when they find out what we just did."

Kazuha leaned in closer and bit his earlobe, causing a vein to appear on the Osakan detective's forehead. "I'm a bad girl, aren't I? Don't you want to punish a bad girl, Heiji?" That was the last straw. He couldn't take it anymore. He lifted her up and threw her on the bed; she looked at him with lust as her clothes were took off one by one and the both of them fell into the endless pit of love.

In the neighboring room, Conan was looking at the window, still wide awake. He began to hear strange sounds from Heiji's room, and he began to think about why does Heiji have to make so much noise at night, before he flashed a large smirk. 'Hattori,' he thought. 'It's a good thing that occhan is a heavy sleeper and Ran is still wearing her earphones even while asleep. I wonder how Kaito and Hakuba will take everything tomorrow. Hehehe.'

 **Tomorrow…**

It was 6:21 in the morning and the whole group just got out of the train. Some of them were still sleepy, including Saguru, Heiji, Kogoro, and Aoko. They went to the taxu stand because they still have to ride a cab to get to the harbor where the ships going towards the three islands were. Since there were too many of them, they agreed that Conan, Ran, Kogoro, Kaito, and Akako would be riding the first cab while the rest will wait for the second one. Seeing Heiji yawning for the third time this morning made Conan smirk at him. "So what happened to you last night, Hattori?" Heiji then blushed and started to sweat as he looked at the boy.

"W-what are you talking about?" replied Heiji.

"I know what you and Kazuha-chan did last night. You —" before he could speak any further, the Osakan detective slapped a hand to cover the boy's mouth.

"Ahou, don't announce it in public! Yes, Kazuha and I were pretty intimate last night and you better shut the hell up or else I'm telling Ran-chan today that you really are Kudo Shinichi." Conan just shrugged in response as Heiji let go of his mouth.

Once the first taxi stopped, the first five passengers put their bags in the trunk of the car before getting inside. It didn't took more than fifteen minutes for them to finally get to the harbor. Kaito paid the driver while the other four took their bags out of the trunk. After the taxi left, Kaito went to the stall where they manage the boats' schedules and trips. While waiting for Kaito to finish, Conan took the opportunity to get to know Kaito's girlfriend. He tugged on Akako's shirt, and Ran first reacted. "Conan-kun, stop bothering Akako-chan like that!" Ran said.

"It's fine, Ran-san," Akako replied with a smile. She knelt down to Conan's height level. "What is it, boy?"

"I was wondering how you and Kaito-neechan met."

"Oh, we met in school. We're classmates. Boys were always chasing after me, but Kaito is the one who I liked since day one."

'Come to think of it, me and Ai also met in school!' Conan thought with a chuckle. 'How about that? I really am Kaito's long lost twin brother!' "Wow! You two are really sweet to each other! You must totally love each other so much!" the boy complemented, causing Akako to blush. At the same time, Kaito went back to them with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"Is something wrong, Kaito?" asked Akako.

"It's not exactly a problem," he said with a deep breath as he opened his eyes. "But we're not the only ones heading to the island."

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"There's a house here?"**_

 _ **"Why is that boulder elevated unlike the others?"**_

 _ **"I' ll stay here and solve this, you three go!"**_

 _ **"I have no evidence to prove you did it."**_

 _ **CHAPTER 34: THE CURSED ISLAND, PART 3**_

* * *

 _ **Okay, you horny dogs, that's enough! You may thought that I'll be having a smut regarding Heiji and Kazuha, huh? Well that won't happen. Watch out for the next chapter, which will have the murder case in it. Hakuba and Aoko are now dating, everyone here has someone to end up with now! Well, maybe except Genta! Now about the two teaser lines up there, I hope it makes you hype for TNG. Cause it will be full of OCs. Conan and the gang will be adults there and they all have families of their own. Like I said, the list of new characters will come out next chapter. Review, review, review, please guys! Words of encouragement make me more determined! Well I guess that's enough for now. Later!**_

 _ **-Lance**_


	34. The Cursed Island, Part 3

_**The last of the part of the Cursed Island case is here! As I have said last chapter, I'm going to give the list of new characters that will be making their debut in IABH's sequel, The Next Generation. Some of them may even be featured in this fanfic's last chapter, 'A Step into the Future'. I'm not telling who their parents are, just figure it out for yourselves because it's quite obvious.**_

 _ **-Shinichi Edogawa (M)**_

 _ **-Shiho Edogawa (F)**_

 _ **-Ayako Tsubaraya (F)**_

 _ **-Ryuuko Fujimoto (M)**_

 _ **-Hisoka Fujimoto (F)**_

 _ **-Gintama Kojima (M)**_

 _ **-Rin Hondou (F)**_

 _ **-Haruhiko Hattori (M)**_

 _ **-Misao Hakuba (F)**_

 _ **-Fuuko Kuroba (F)**_

 _ **-Hiro Kyougoku (M)**_

 _ **-Sachiko Takagi (F)**_

 _ **-Haruka Shiratori (F)**_

 _ **All of them will be taking over the spotlight after I finish IABH. Like I said, I think it's pretty obvious to even guess who their parents are, and that's why I'm not telling you guys any more details. Now regarding Conan and the gang, here are their occupations in TNG. I hope you guys already know the couples confirmed in this fanfic:**_

 _ **Conan - Detective**_

 _ **Ai - Scientist**_

 _ **Ryuuichi - Programmer**_

 _ **Kazuko - Writer**_

 _ **Ayumi - Teacher**_

 _ **Mitsuhiko - Assistant Inspector**_

 _ **Genta - Head chef of a resto**_

 _ **Ran - Karate Instructor**_

 _ **Heiji - Detective**_

 _ **Eisuke - CIA Agent/Pilot**_

 _ **Kaito - Detective**_

 _ **Kazuha - Housewife**_

 _ **Aoko - Housewife**_

 _ **Saguru - Detective**_

 _ **Akako - Doctor**_

 _ **Makoto - Karate Instructor**_

 _ **Sonoko - Fashion Designer**_

 _ **This case will finally come to an end with this chapter and in the next one, both the DS and BO are taking their first step in exacting revenge. Hey, it ain't called the 'Revenge Arc' for nothing! Regarding how long MOTH and TNG will be, I'm thinking of having the prequel up to 20 chaps. TNG will have 30 at least, unless I get more determined to dig deep into an OC world. I think it might be a while before I get to update again because my mom's so pissed with me, but trust in me, I am improvising in every way I can just to write the future chapters! If I get more reviews, the faster I can publish the next chapter! That's how simple it is! I don't have anything else to say because a lot of things are occupying my mind right now, and school stuff is the majority. I need to get high grades again to get my phone back. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: CoAi will live on forever, even though I don't own DC…**_

* * *

"What do you mean, 'we're not the only ones heading to the island'?" asked Mouri.

"Isn't it obvious? There are also other people going to Ryouka Island besides us, and we're going on the same boat with them."

"So? What's wrong with that? It's not too much of a building to have other people go the same place like us."

"It may not be a problem to you, but it's a problem to us," Kaito murmured, sneaking a glance at Conan, who also had looks of uneasiness printed on his face. 'What do we do?' the former magician thought. 'The more people on the island, the less time we have in searching for the HQ and investigating.' His thoughts were cut off when he saw Heiji and Saguru with the two other girls. "Okay, now that everyone's here, the manager of the ships told me to lead everyone to the small house near the harbor over there," he pointed to the small shack beside four boats that are anchored safely on the beach. "Let's go!" They started to head to the house with Conan decreasing his walking speed so he could talk to both Heiji and Saguru.

"You guys," Conan began. "We have a problem.

"What are you talking about, Kudo?" replied Heiji.

"Our chances of finding the HQ at the island as quickly as possible has decreased. We have to be extremely cautious now, and be more focused once we reach Ryouka."

"I've no idea what you're talking about," said Saguru. "Can you tell us first what has gotten into your mind that is making you act like this?"

Conan groaned in irritation. Apparently, his two other detective friends didn't get what he was saying. "Other people are also heading to Ryouka. Kaito just informed us before you arrived. We don't know jow many people would be joining us on the trip but what's at stake now is the time we need in finding the underground base. Do you get it now?" Heiji and Saguru nodded. "Good. We'll talk more about this matter later. We need to find out first who are the other people going to the island."

 **Inside the shack…**

The whole group looked at the people who were sitting around a small round table. There were three teenagers, two boys and a girl, that look close to being adults. There was also an old man wearing a hat and it looked like that he was sleeping due to his closed eyes. There was also another woman, who was holding a camera. Lastly, there was another pair of teens, a boy and a girl, and it could be assumed that they are a couple due to how close they were to each other. Surprising them all, the old man with the hat was the one who broke the silence. "Well, don't just stand there," he said. "Come and sit down! We're also waiting for Ikeda-kun to lead us to the boats as well!"

Hesitantly, Kogoro, Ran, Akako, Aoko, and Kazuha sat down near the table. Saguru and the other boys just leaned on the wall next to the door, observing the people whom they would be travelling with to Ryouka, just in case a BO member in disguise was with them.

Kogoro then spoke. "I'm sorry, but who is this 'Ikeda-kun'?"

"He's the one who'll be going with us to the fabled Cursed Island," replied the old man. "Are you going to the island too?" Mouri nodded. "You better watch yourself, though. The curse of Ryouka might be following you anytime." A booming laugh suddenly filled the room when the man who is currently with his 'partner' started laughing.

"There's no such thing as curses in this world, old man!" he exclaimed. "Akeno," he gave his 'partner' a quick kiss on the cheek, causing her to blush ij response."…and I want to go to the island because there aren't much places that are peaceful any more. Assuming that you once had a girlfriend, old man, I hope you know what it's like when you're trying to find a quiet place for you and your girlfriend."

"Even if there has been no evidence that there is such a curse," said the woman with the camera. "I have my trusty camera in case something unfortunate happens!"

"You really think something bad will happen?" asked the teen beside his two friends. He had a small goatee and he was wearing a cap which made him more distinguishable. "Even if there really are curses, which I don't believe are true, there are seven of us, and if we add those newcomers over there," he pointed to Mouri and the others. "As well as Ikeda-san," he crossed his arms. "That makes us seventeen all in all. I doubt that a lousy curse can make us go fleeing in terror. Am I right, guys?" he turned to his two friends who nodded.

"Maybe you are right about what you are saying that there is no curse at all, young one," said the old man. "However, you must not doubt the world of its natural phenomena. Who knows? The curse may be following us right now." Then all of a sudden, the door to the shack opened and another man came in.

He was just about the same height as Kogoro, and he was wearing an adventurer's hat. Not only that, he was also carrying a backpack. Could he be another person coming with them?

"Sorry for the long wait, everyone!" he announced. "I was just busy tending to other tourists!" He went to the table and dropped his backpack on top of it. "Before we continue to our ship, I believe some introductions are needed to be done first. My name is Ikeda Saburo," he bowed to them all. "I will be the one to accompany you on our trip to the island of Ryouka. May I know all of your names?"

"A pleasure to meet you!" said the old man. "I'm Nakamoto Hiroshi, I'm a sculptor from where I came from."

"The name's Otsuka Tomohiro, a dirt track racer," he pointed to his girlfriend. "And this beauty's name is Matsui Ayame."

"My name is Ishii Kiyoko!" the girl with the camera stated, also bowing her head. "As a photographer, I'm so excited to go to the island!"

"I'm Saito Rei, a soccer player," said the teen boy as he took off his hat. "This here is my best friend, Maeda Sasuke, he's a little quiet and it may not seem like it , but he's also a capable gymnast and dance instructor," he pointed to the boy whose bangs were low beside him, who nodded. "And this is my girlfriend, Okada Azami," he then kissed the red-haired girl beside him, causing her to blush uncontrollably.

Seeing that everyone was done now, Mouri cleared his throat. "Well now, I think it's my turn now!" he declared with pride stuck to his voice. "Everyone, I assume that you all know who I am! To those whi don't know, my name is…" before he could speak any further, somebody's voice beat him to it.

"Mouri Kogoro-san, am I right?" said Ikeda. Everyone in the shack bore widened eyes at the announcement of his name, except for Conan and the others, and surprisingly, the old man himself. "It's such an honor to meet you in person! I am a fan of your various endeavors!"

"M-Mouri?!" said Tomohiro.

"K-Kogoro?!" piped up Rei.

"The famous detective from Tokyo?!" asked Kiyoko with astonishment evident in her voice. Kogoro nodded, answering all of them. "Can I take a picture of you?" she prepared her camera. "I'm also a fan of you!" Mouri just grinned embarrassingly.

"And who are these people with you? Are they family?" asked Ikeda.

"Uh, no, this is my daughter," he pointed to Ran. "Her friends here are the ones who wanted to go to the island, I just tagged along to make sure they're safe." While they were all having their own conversation, Heiji and the others were also having a little talk of their own.

"Hey," Kaito began. "Is there someone there who you think is suspicious? There is a chance that the BO knows that we are going to the island, and they might have sent a member to protect the HQ."

"For now," said Saguru. "I think my eyes haven't caught somebody suspicious yet."

"Same here," said both Heiji and Conan.

"Kuroba-kun, what makes you think that there is a chance that the BO knows that we are heading to the island? This matter hasn't reached any other people except for the four of us and the FBI, according to Kudo-kun."

"You're underestimating the BO, Hakuba," said Heiji. "They're as cunning as they are deadly. They can disguise themselves as an ordinary person in a snap.

Kudo can vouch for that." Saguru looked at Conan, who nodded in response. "When we get to the island, make sure to watch out for any person who tries to spy on what we're doing. This may be our only chance to get more information about our enemy." All three detectives nodded.

"Okay, everyone!" announced Ikeda. "The introductions are finished! Grab your bags and get ready! We're heading to our ship!" He then raised an eyebrow when he saw the whole group. "Where is that construction guy?" he muttered under his breath. "I thought that he'd be coming as well."

"What?" asked Kogoro.

"N-nothing! Off we go!" The four detectives furrowed their eyebrows together, they could sense that something suspicious is going on.

 **Half an hour later…**

The ship landed at the harbor. And the four detectives had to admit that the island looked pretty much like an ordinary one. Tomohiro, who yawned, was the first one to speak as they got out of the ship. "See? Nothing to be afraid of! I told you all thar curses aren't real!" Conan was deep in thought as they all closely followed Ikeda, who was leading the way.

'I thought at first that there would be something off about this place,' he said to his mind. 'If there is really nothing strange about this island, then this should make our search a bit easier. But,' An image of Ano Kata, Rum, Tequila, and Vodka appeared in his mind. 'The BO is pretty resourceful when it comes to their HQ. I mean, who would have thought that their base was under a mountain? Considering that this place was the location of their first HQ, the base must be somewhere that would be the least expecting site for it to be. I think we should start on the other side of this place opposite on where we'd be staying.' His thoughts were cut off when he heard his name being continuously called.

"Conan-kun! Conan-kun!" said Ran, which was enough to snap the boy out of his thoughts. The boy looked at her, and she sighed in relief. "What's gotten into your head? You've been acting weird lately."

"Gomennasai, Ran-neechan!" he said. "I was just thinking about a few things!" The next thing he knew was the whole group stopped walking. "Ran-neechan, why did we stop?"

"See? That's what you get when you get your head out of the blue. We're already at the place where we'll be staying until our trip is over!" She then showed the boy the house they would be staying in. They were just outside it, and they were all staring at the place. Conan raised an eyebrow. It was a big two-story house with roof of bricks and it also has three balconies. What weirded the boy out the most was the electric poles and wires. He looked behind him and saw an electric pole near the sandy beach and its wires were connected to another pole that could be barely seen from behind the house. The wires were just parallel to the roof. There were also poles surrounding the island which were connected by the wires. He stroked his chin at this strange situation. He decided to ask for more info about it.

"Oji-san," he called out to Ikeda, earning his attention. "There's a house here?"

Ikeda chuckled. "Why of course, there's a house here!" he replied. "Where else do you think that tourists would have slept when they went here. Don't worry about what's on the inside, there are enough rooms for everybody."

"Then why are there electric poles in this place?" asked Heiji. "It's unusual for an island to be generating electricity because it's separated from the mainland."

"If you're asking about that, the generator is on the other side of the island. And we needed to provide electricity here for our customers to be satisfied. And also, we needed to do it because less and less people have the intention of going here ever since the incidents that happened two years ago." He opened the door and motioned for everyone to come inside. The living room was huge and there were couches enough for everyone. There was also a fireplace for warmth and comfort. A TV was placed on top of a small cabinet and the windows were nearly perfect in designing. While everyone was preoccupied, Kaito and Saguru looked at each other and nodded. They silently broke away to check the staircase and the other rooms. All of them dumped their bags at the center of the big room and sat down on the couches. Heiji spoke again.

"Incident? What happened two years ago?"

"It's best not to talk about it, boy. It'll just bring back bad memories for me."

"I'm curious to know as well," said Kogoro. "What incident are we talking about here?"

Ikeda sighed. "You see, two years ago, everything was fine here in Ryouka. I started working as a tour guide here four years ago, and it was certainly fun entertaining visitors who would come here to the island. Almost every weekend, people would be excited to see the island, even if it was known as cursed. But then, two years ago, when a little kid wandered off from us while I was busy with the other guests, he disappeared and was never found. I felt bad for his family, and they even tried to sue because of what happened. But people saw it as a minor thing, and just treated this place as it used to. Then as time passed, more people disappeared. From then on, people have been scared to go here and believed that this place is really cursed."

'The BO must be responsible for those disappearances!' Heiji and Conan both thought at the same time. Kaito and Saguru came back and sat on the couches like everyone else.

"Do you have any idea where those people were last seen?" Nakamoto asked, making Conan raise an eyebrow at the old man.

"Some have said that the boy I was telling you about earlier was last seen near the generator at the other side. But there also some people who said otherwise. About the other disappearances, it was reported that they were last sighted near the cliffs and at the ocean." Seeing that everyone was now staring at him, he stood up and smiled. "Well now that this discussion is over, I suggest you all head upstairs and go pick your rooms out! I'll be in the kitchen to cook us lunch!" Hearing this, everyone took their bags and went up the staircase. Kaito and Saguru led their group to two rooms.

"We'll take this room," said Kaito. "You girls can occupy this next one," he pressed on, earning a nod from the teenage girls. The four detectives, including Kogoro, went inside the room. Mouri threw his bag at Heiji, who barely caught it.

"Take care of my things, will ya?" he asked, earning a scoff from the Osakan detective. "I'm gonna head down and find something to eat, I haven't had anything ever since this morning!" As soon as he went out of the room, Kaito quickly locked it and the four of them collapsed on the two separate king-sized beds.

"We have no chance to search for the HQ right now," Kaito spoke as he stared at the ceiling. "If we try to sneak away, all of them will go crazy and realize that there really is a curse. What's more, we'll likely be left behind if that did happen."

"Right," said Saguru. "The first places we should check first are the three locations that Ikeda-san mentioned earlier. The generator, ocean, and the cliffs. For now, the most potential place that the HQ could be in is the generator's location. As for the ocean," the blonde detective stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"It'd be crazy of us to think that the base is underwater, said Heiji. "But the land around it is an exception. Let's check the cliffs last because it's too dangerous to even try to go down. Better get all your phones ready for tonight, cause we'd be needing flashlights." The three other detectives nodded as the Osakan detective stood up. "I'm gonna go check what's on the outside of this house." He stopped at the doorway, and looked back at his friends. "You can come if you want." As he walked away, both Kaito and Saguru looked at each other and stood up, leaving the room as well. Conan was the only one left as he went out on the balcony, deep in thought. 'Something's bothering me. I can't put my finger on it, but it feels as if there is something or someone whom I'm having a strange feeling for.' He started to think of the possible people with them that are strange, but then he shook his head. 'I have to focus. In case we do find the HQ, what information would the base have? I trust that Gin didn't lie about a real HQ here, but we have to be quick and clever if we want a safe night of searching.' He checked the time on his watch and it was 12:32 in the afternoon. A strange noise then went to the boy's eardrums. His eyes widened and it seemed to be coming from the roof. 'What was that?!' He looked up at the roof, but he saw nothing. 'I must be imagining things,' he finished with a sarcastic chuckle. He then felt his stomach grumble. 'Oh, man. I must be hungry after a trip here without breakfast. I better go down, if I want to eat.' The boy then left the room.

 **Seven hours later…**

All of them were currently eating at the dining room. The four teen girls spent the whole day befriending Azami and Kyoko, whom they find as friendly and smart. Sasuke and Rei wandered around the coastline, talking about various things. Tomohiro, not surprisingly, just bonded with Ayame. Kogoro, like a crazy guy, splashed in the water. Ikeda and Nakamoto chose to stay in the house, as they didn't want to tire themselves out. The four detectives were kept busy in trying to find openings on they could sneak away to start searching since everyone was preoccupied, to no avail. The girls would always catch on to what they were planning to do and wonder where will they go. After a whole afternoon of fun for mostly everyone and frustration for the detectives, they went back in the house. Ikeda told everyone to take a shower first, before he'll cook dinner. He also informed them that there were four bathrooms in the house, and just take turns for a quick rinse. Ran, while waiting for her turn, lent a hand to Ikeda while he was cooking their dinner.

As expected, the food tasted so good. There were so much food on the table, and Kogoro didn't look like that he was full yet. He looked like a pig who just came out of the barn in a morning. Ran, Kazuha and the rest of their group along with the detectives smiled embarrassingly because of Mouri's eating. Ikeda just responded with an eye smile.

Even if there were so much food on the table, Sasuke stood up, having finished only one bowl full of food. He stopped at the doorway, and glanced back at all of them. "I'm heading upstairs," he announced. "I feel that my head's spinning so I'm just going to lie down. Thank you for the food, either way." He then walked down the right hall, and the staircase was just up ahead.

"Sorry to ask," Kazuha began. "But Maeda-san seems kind of weird." Hearing this made both Rei and Azami chuckle.

"Don't worry about it!" Rei assured. "That attitude of Sasuke is normal for him. He may not seem like it, but he's actually a very good gymnast. He once jumped from the second floor of our school and landed with no injuries! I kind of want to learn from him since I need practice for my future games." Kazuha nodded, and continued on eating.

After his third bowl, Rei stood up and stretched out his arms. "You're going upstairs too?" asked Azami. Rei shook his head.

"No, I'm just going outside for some fresh air, I'm full." He then put on his cap that was on a chair beside the door. "I'll come back after a few minutes, enjoy eating!" He walked down the left hallway, which had the front door at the end.

"Then I'm going as well," Nakamoto announced, after just finishing his 2nd bowl. "I want to feel the cool breeze of the wind at night." He stopped at the door. "I'll also be back in a matter of minutes, don't bother waiting for me." He then left the room.

 **Ten minutes later…**

Kogoro leaned back on his chair after his 6th bowl just as Nakamoto went back to his seat, like he said. "I don't think I can walk back to my room now," he said. "I'm so full. Can someone help me get back?"

Ran sighed, stood up, and hoistered her father's right arm around her neck. "Taku," she said witb a groan. "When you're not having too much alcohol, you have too much food instead." Hearing this made everyone left in the dining room laugh. "Can't you try to balance what you eat?" After her last statement, they were both out of sight and silence took over the room once more.

Ikeda spoke to break the boredom. "Why don't we take a hike around the whole island tomorrow?" he asked cheerfully, causing the four detectives to widen their eyes and nearly spit out their food. "The tour is still two days long, so I think it would be nice to get some exercise by walking and it would surely make your time here more memorable."

Before anyone could even answer, the four detectives were already shaking their heads, opposing to what Ikeda had suggested. Akako, Aoko, and Kazuha had a sad look on their faces. They were about to say that they want to go around the island tomorrow, but then their sad looks morphed into evil smirks, confusing their respective lovers. The three of them stood up, and went to each of their boyfriends. Then all of a sudden, the lights went out. 'What the hell is going on?!' Conan thought to himself. After a few moments, Ikeda first sighed in relief before he spoke again.

"I almost thought we're going to have an overnight blackout. So are we going or not?" Saguru, Kaito, and Heiji were now nodding alongside Kazuha, Aoko, Akako, Kyoko, Tomohiro, Ayame, and Nakamoto, completely different from how they acted earlier. Apparently, the three teen girls had something up their sleeves when their respective boyfriends immediately refused. Conan face-palmed and groaned in irritation. Afterwards, he started hearing footsteps behind him, as he was seated just in front of the door. He raised an eyebrow and prepared his tranquilizer, just in case that it was a stranger. His suspicions were gone when Rei, who was still wearing his hat, passed by and went further down the hall, clearly heading for the staircase.

"Little boy," said Kyoko, which earned Conan's attention. "Who was that man that passed by?"

"That was just Rei-niichan!" he replied, earning a nod of understanding from the photographer. Seeing that nobody was bothering him anymore, his full attention went to his thoughts. 'This is it. Once everyone goes to sleep, we'll sneak out and find that HQ. I could only hope that our eyes are quick even in the dead of night.' When he looked up, he saw that everyone was now arranging all of their leftovers and used plates. 'All that's left for me to do is a quick shower.' A certain voice diverted his attention.

"Where are you going?" Ayame asked.

"I just need to make a quick and important call outside," replied Tomohiro. "Don't worry, I'll be back quickly. Don't let it bother you too much, okay?" Ayame nodded and with that, Tomohiro went out the front door. The boy raised an eyebrow before he stood up, left the table, and headed for his room.

 **Two hours later…**

Conan, Heiji, Saguru, and Kaito just waited for Kogoro to snore loudly. That was their cue on when will they sneak away. As soon as they heard him snore, Conan and Heiji carefully got off their bed to avoid waking the old drunk up. Heiji and Kaito went to their bags to get all of their phones for them to use as flashlights. Taking one last glance at Kogoro, they saw that he was still snoring loudly, deep in sleep. With that, they went out the room and treaded carefully towards the back door. Finally, they were outside. Unfortunately, they didn't know where to head first, if they went to the cliffs, they'll need to walk along the shoreline. If they went to the generator, they'll need to pass the forest of trees behind the house. "Okay, so where do we go first?" whispered Heiji.

"We should head for the generator first," Kaito suggested. "We're now in the forest and if we continue along this path, we'll reach the place in no time. Do you agree?" His three friends nodded. "Then bring out your phones, because there's no light in where we're going." All of them took out their phones and opened their turned their flashlights on.

Azami suddenly woke up, but still Rei wasn't beside her in bed. She was expecting him to be beside her, wrapping his arms around her, taking in her warmth. On the other bed, she saw Sasuke sleeping peacefully. She sighed and decided to go outside to the balcony, hoping that she'd see him outside. She threw the curtains to the side, and went out. She then saw a strange black thing in front of her, but of course beyond the house. Due to how dark it is, she couldn't see what it was. She started to get goosebumps so she went back inside to get her phone. She turned on her flashlight and pointed it at the mysterious black object. Her eyes went wide with tears starting to form as she gazed at body of Rei, who was hanging from the electric wires with a rope. "AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" she cried out, unable to take it, and her voice may be loud enough for the whole island to hear.

The four detectives weren't far yet, but as soon as they heard a scream coming from the direction of the house, they looked back. "What the hell was that?!" said Saguru.

"It seems like somebody screamed or something!" said Heiji. Conan gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. "Come on, let's head back!" But before he could even make a step, Conan's voice already stopped him in his tracks.

"We can't risk it, Hattori!" the boy declared. "If we turn back now, we may never have a chance to search for the base. I'll stay here and look into this situation, you three go! All right? Go and look for the HQ, or else we'll lose our chance, got it?" his three friends nodded and they all performed the Friendship Fists before Conan ran back to the house and Heiji, Kaito, and Saguru ran through the forest.

Waking up from hearing a loud scream, Sasuke saw Azami pointing her flashlight outside. He approached her but then his eyes widened as well when he saw Rei's body hanging from the electric wires. "REI!" he cried out. Not too long after, the room was filled with the others, and they all widened their eyes when they saw Rei.

Meanwhile, Ikeda, who was sleeping downstairs in the living room and was too lazy to go up, walked outside through the front door instead. His eyes widened as well as soon as he got the first glimpse of Rei, who was illuminated with a flashlight. He started to walk backwards but he suddenly tripped. He looked to his right side, only to find a black object in front of him. He brought out his phone and turned on his flashlight as well, only to find Tomohiro in a sitting position with a rope around his neck. Unable to take it, he screamed. "AAAAAGGGGHHHH!" The other people upstairs looked down on the ground and saw Ikeda. Ayame had tears in her eyes as she rushed downstairs.

Conan, coming from the side of the house, widened his eyes at what he saw while panting heavily. Two bodies in front of him. He gritted his teeth and when he saw Ran up on the balcony, he yelled. "Ran-neechan! Ran-neechan!" he called out, which was surprisingly enough for her to hear. She looked down as well, and saw Conan.

"Conan-kun!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing down there?!"

"There's no time to explain, Ran-neechan! Call the police and medics from the mainland!" Ran immediately nodded and brought out her phone. The lights in the house then turned on, fully revealing the bodies. Conan rested his chin on his hand and began to think. 'Rei-san was hung from the wires on the electric poles,' the boy turned to Tomohiro, who had a rope around his neck. He checked for a pulse, but there wasn't any. 'Damn it! If I just had the upgraded magnifying glass right now, I could scan this!' He then noticed that the rope was cut off after the noose's knot. 'I see. These two didn't commit suicide. They were murdered!"

 **Half an hour later…**

The police, along with a few medics, arrived by ship to Ryouka. The bodies of both men were declared as dead, which brought both Azami and Ayame to tears, hearing that the men they loved were no longer alive.

"You were all asleep when Azami-san here found Rei-kun's body, correct?" the police inspector asked, earning a nod from Kogoro. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Inspector Tachibana, from Iizuna Division. You are famous detective Mouri Kogoro, am I right?" Kogoro nodded again. "Then I need your help in getting the alibis of the people here."

While Kogoro and Tachibana-keibu conversed, Conan started to investigate more. 'Kaito, Hattori, Hakuba… I'm counting on you.' He went under the electric wires where Rei was hanged and stroked his chin. 'How did the culprit manage to hang Rei-san from the wires. He couldn't possibly climb the pole itself because there are no ridges or holes for the culprit to step on. Let's see. There are four wires connected from pole to pole, and it was tough enough to support the weight of a young adult.' He went inside the house and looked at all of the people to be interrogated and he noticed something strange from the arm of one person. 'C-could it be?!' He then ran upstairs to Azami, Sasuke and Rei's room, went to the balcony and stared at the roof. 'So that's how he did it…' The boy then looked down on the ground. 'Bingo. The first murder is solved. Now there's just one more.' He went outside and headed to the place where Tomohiro died, outside the side window. 'He was in a sitting position, but how did he manage to do that? Normally, when a person dies of choking, they lie down on the ground.' The next thing he noticed was that the side window was opened slightly. His eyes widened and when he looked through it, he saw that the window parallel to the other side window at the back of the house. He then ran to the back of the house, searching for a particular object. 'Wait! If my deduction is correct, then that would mean that he's been secretly going to this island from time to time!' He then saw a well, not too far from the house, and he checked on whag was inside it. He smirked and began to walk back to the house. 'Nice try. But this case is over with. Time to put occhan to sleep!'

By the time he got there, Nakamoto was the only one standing, along with the police. "So Nakamoto-san, since you are the only one who left during both Rei-kun and Tomohiro-kun's deaths and that no one can confirm your alibi, we would like you to answer more questions back at the station. Nakamoto just flashed an emotionless face while Conan aimed his tranquilizer at Kogoro. Mouri fell down on the couch and Conan brought out his bowtie. "Wait just a moment, keibu," he said, making the inspector stop in his tracks and looked at the detective. "Nakamoto-san isn't the culprit." Everyone who was in the living room widened their eyes.

"W-what are you talking about, Mouri-san?! He was the only one without an alibi last night!"

"Let us start with the case of Rei-kun. As you all know, he was hanged from the electrical wires using a rope. How can the culprit manage to hang the body to wires?" Seeing the inspector stumped to figure it out, Conan smirked. "That's right. There is no way. Even if we could say that the pole itself can be climbed on, I doubt that an old man like him can climb the pole. The only way for the culprit to do that is if he climbed on the roof."

"C-climbed on the roof?! Impossible! A normal person can't possibly be capable of performing that kind of stunt!"

"You're right. A normal person can't. But the culprit can." The inspector raised an eyebrow. "Because the man that killed both Rei-kun and Tomohiro-kun is a skilled gymnast." Hearing his last statement made everyone look at Sasuke. "Yes. The culprit is you, Maeda Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke's eyes were wide open as Mouri's deduction continued. "The first thing that happened was that while everyone was busy preparing for dinner, Sasuke-kun, who was alone in his room climbed up on the roof to prepare the rope. Conan told me that he waa hearing strange noises thay time because he was in his room. But since Sasuke-kun's room that he shared with Rei-kun and Azami-san was in between the two other balconies, no one could have possibly seen him climb up. Then during dinner, Sasuke-kun left the table first before anyone else. But in truth, instead of resting upstairs in his room, he was actually preparing his method in killing Rei-kun. The first thing he did was climb the roof again. The next thing he did was a dangerous stunt, yet I believe that can do. He walked on the wires of the pole and tied the rope near the middle.

"Wait a minute, Mouri-san! How could those wires support the weight of a man?! The electrical wires should be broken by now if it carried such weight like that!"

"If it wasn't tough, then Rei-kun shouldn't have been left hanging there since last night." Suddenly, Akako spoke.

"But we all saw Rei-kun return last night!" she said. "You don't know about it because you were already in your room with Ran-san!"

"All of you," Mouri said in a very serious face and tone. "I know that Rei-kun returned last night, Conan told me about it. But what you saw wasn't Rei-kun at all, because it was Sasuke-kun all along." Conan then could have sworn that he heard Sasuke gasp. "When Rei-kun left, he had his cap worn. What happened was that after Rei-kun left, Sasuke-kun finished tying the noose to the wires, then he carefully made his way back to the roof. I heard from Rei-kun himself that Sasuke-kun once jumped from second floor of their school so it will not be a problem if Sasuke-kun jumps down on the ground as well. After he landed safely on the grass, he snuck behind Rei-kun who, by chance was standing directly under the wires. Sasuke-kun then placed the noose around his neck and pulled. Because he is physically fit, he managed to carry on with hanging Rei-kun. The cap that Rei-kun was wearing when he wore outside fell on the ground while Sasuke-kun was pulling harder and harder. And that was how the case of Rei-kun was performed.

"T-then how could I have killed Tomohiro-san?!" said Sasuke. "What you said about how Rei died is still believable, but Tomohiro-san killed himself."

"No, he didn't. If you check on the rope that was Tomohiro-kun's neck, you can see that the rope was cut off after the noose was tied in a knot." Just as Tachibana-keibu could make some officers check the weapon, they were already holding on to it. "If a person commits suicide, the rope is usually just wrapped around the victim's head. But Tomohiro-kun was killed because of a noose. One of the more reasons that proves that Tomohiro-kun did not kill himself. What's more, Tomohiro-kun was sitting down when he was found. When a person commits suicide by choking himself, they usually lie down on the ground. With a simple yet a very complex-looking trick, Sasuke-kun was able to kill Tomohiro-kun. Do you see that side window near the door, keibu?"

"H-hai."

"A rope was passed through there." Everyone raised an eyebrow. "If you check the window enough, you'll see that it is opened at the same size proportional to the side window near the back door. Check it out for yourself." The inspector first went to the window by the front door, before heading on to the window ny the back. He went back and nodded at the detective.

"It's like what you said, the windows were open at the same sizes."

"The rope extended out of the back of this house to a pile of cinder blocks on top of an old well. The rope was tied to those blocks and there was also a metal bar under those, preventing them from falling down the well. Another rope was also tied to the metal bar and that is what Sasuke-kun carried until he killed Tomohiro-kun." The gymnast started to grit his teeth at the famed detective, causing Conan to smirk even more, he knows that the teen would break soon, so he continued. "After killing Rei-kun and disguising as him when he went back upstairs, he jumped back down on the ground again. He was probably waiting for Tomohiro-kun to go outside, maybe they were planning to have a meeting in private. Due to the darkness, Tomohiro-kun didn't see Rei-kun's body hanging on the electric wires. While the two were talking, Sasuke-kun put the noose on him, much to Tomohiro-kun's confusion. Before he knew it, Sasuke-kun gave the rope that he was holding a strong pull, causing the metal bar to slip under the blocks. As a result, the blocks fell down the well and took the rope with it. But since Tomohiro-kun was with the rope, the rope didn't completely followed the blocks. But since it's pulling Tomohiro-kun with such great force by the neck, it created an instant death. Afterwards, Sasuke-kun cut the rope to try to erase all of the evidence, but the rope and cinder blocks were still visible under the well. Now am I wrong with my deduction, Sasuke-kun?" Everyone turned to the gymnast, who glared at the detective.

"Evidence! If you're saying that I killed both Rei and the other guy tell me what is the proof that I killed them?!"

Conan smirked and closed his eyes. "No. I have no evidence to prove that it was you." Everyone's eyes widened at what Mouri said, except for Sasuke, who had an evil smile on his face.

"I knew it!" He pointed his finger at Mouri. You don't have any proof that I did it! All of the interesting deductions you have shown are just plain stories!"

"No, I have no evidence. But there are signs thay point to you as the killer."

"Stop acting smart, old man! If you can't bring or show us evidence, then you might be better off finding a new job!"

"Really? Then where did you get the burn mark on your forearm?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow and looked at his forearm. His eyes then widened as he tried to hide it from all of them. Realization then struck Aoko's mind.

"C-could it be that..?!" she stated before Mouri finished it for her.

"Yes. He got that burn mark last night while he was at the rooftop. The short blackout we experienced last night was actually one of the mistakes that Sasuke-kun made. Before he stood up on the wires to walk on them, one of the wires must have ignited a spark that caused a short blackout of electricity. Where else would you get that burn mark on your arm, Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke then had tears pooling in his eyes as he grabbed onto his hair. "You didn't cook anything yesterday, you couldn't have gotten that mark during that time. You are not a smoker as well, so getting a burn mark because of cigarettes is a crazy excuse for you. The only time that you could have gotten it was during the time I said earlier! Now am I wrong?" Those last statements finally did it, as Sasuke collapsed to his knees and started to openly cry.

After sniffling a few times, Sasuke finally spoke. "Those two… were people who deserved to die. Last year, my younger sister died during a hit-and-run incident. She was 15 that time. Tomohiro-san was the one who killed her!" At the same time, the sun started to rise up in the sky, as Conan saw his three friends coming back to the house through the side window. "A few months ago, that bastard told me that when it comes to driving for entertainment, and that there is no law. I knew then that he was the one who killed her! I swore to myself that I will get my revenge on him!" The three detectives shot a glance at Conan as they went inside the house. " And Rei-san was the one who stealed the woman I love from me!"

"D-don't tell me…" Ran began, before she was cut off.

"The woman I love was Azami!" he declared, making the said girl widen her eyes in response. "Then he just comes in and literally steals her from me! I thought that we were best friends, that we had a special bond like what brothers share, I trusted him like how he trusted me, but then he stole Azami from me! He kneeled and shouts as loud as he can. "I COULDN'T FORGIVE THEM!"

While Tachibana-keibu arrested Sasuke, Kogoro woke up from his sleep. While Ran informed him of everything that has happened, Conan went to his three friends. "So did you three find the HQ?" he whispered, and the three detectives nodded. "Did you get any information?" They once again nodded. "That's great news! Come on, tell me."

"Just wait, Shinichi," said Kaito. "It's too risky to tell you all of it because of what just happened. While we're heading back to Tokyo, we'll tell you everything." Conan nodded, completely understanding their decision.

 **Meanwhile…**

Kazuko and Ai held their bags tightly as they went out of the front door. Hakase sent the two of them to Ryuuichi's home so that they could retrieve their upgraded gadgets and new tools. Then afterwards, they three of them would head to school afterwards. "Goodbye and take care, Ai-kun! Kazuko-kun!" Hakase anounced while waving his hand.

"Stay safe, Hakase," said Ryuuichi.

"Remember your daily diet," said Ai as she put her hand on her pockets. "We'll go home once school's over." The two then walked out of the front gate. "Take care of yourself!"

The four pairs of eyes from the same bush during the other glared at Hakase again like the other day. "It's time," said the a gruff voice. "For payback."

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"What happened here?!"**_

 _ **"This is all my fault!"**_

 _ **"He's… gone."**_

 _ **"Seems they made their presence known…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 35: REVENGE OF THE SYNDICATES**_

* * *

 _ **And there we have it! The Cursed Island case is over and our heroes have gotten what they need from the BO's HQ. Wow, I had fun writing this chapter, and although I expected it to be hard, it was actually pretty easy. If you have the time, tell me your favorite part of this case. Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3? Please? If you can't, then just please write a review about this fic. The reviews I get are super encouraging because I'm able to let my imagination loose and update fast. Just think about it. It's been only three days since I published Part 2, but now here I am, publishing Part 3. Anyways, while I am writing the future chaps, I'm going to start planning for MOTH and TNG, including the titles of the chapters and the overall plot. At my current pace of updating and publishing, I think that I'll be able to finish this fic in the early months next year. If you're excited for both the prequel and sequel of IABH, follow me here! Again, please review, because those serve as encouragement. Goodbye… and good night, BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	35. Revenge of the Syndicates

_**Luck is definitely on my side! My mom hasn't seen my grades yet because our card giving was moved next next week due to bad weather! How close was that?! Now that it has moved, I have all the time I need to write more chapters while I still have my phone. I'm getting a lot of messages from readers saying that I should write MOTH now because they are itching for some fluff about CoAi. No can do, sorry. I will finish IABH first because this will most likely be the longest and most important part of the trilogy. This fanfic is the bridge from the events of MOTH to TNG. If I write MOTH or TNG now, it definitely won't make as much sense if IABH was still in progress. But never worry. Thirty-five chapters are done, and fifteen remain. It feels like I've just started writing this a month ago due to how fast I've been publishing new chapters. Back then, I was so slow in creating even a one-shot but now I am 3/4 quarters away from creating my greatest fanfic yet! And it's all thanks to you guys! 13k views here in this site is enough to keep me determined to write more and more chapters. Only seven chapters are left before we say goodbye to the Revenge arc and head on to the long awaited Truth arc, but until then, let's see how the BO will take their revenge. Oh, I almost forgot. Here are the summaries of both MOTH and TNG that I'll use when I publish them: (I hope they're good, write a review about them, please?)**_

 _ **Mystery of the Heart,**_

 _ **He has solved every case out there that needs to be solved. He has helped the police countless times, apprehending criminals is an everyday thing for him. Yet he doesn't have what it takes to solve the biggest problem that he has. Love. His feelings for his assumed one true love are dying, because of a reason he doesn't know. At the same time, a sarcastic and reliable friend is supporting him behind his back, and his feelings start to grow for her past friendship. Will he ever solve the greatest mystery in his life, which is his heart?**_

* * *

 _ **And for TNG,**_

 _ **10 years after the two organizations' downfall, Conan and Ai are the happy parents to two siblings. One is obedient and caring, while the other is rebellious but also smart. Shinichi Edogawa has always been envious of Conan and the original DB's heroic deeds, and he plans to create his own detective group, along with a few friends of course, to prove that he has what it takes to be a better detective. With a new threat about to rise and cause trouble again, what kind of adventures await the "DB.2"?**_

 _ **Summaries are done, now the next thing to do is to plan the chapters! In the meantime, I hope all of you can be entertained by this chap... It's hard to stay in detail and I apologize if it is short, but I have to crunch and separate events in the story in order to fit 50 chapters. Enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I said it before…**_

* * *

While everyone was safely riding the ship heading home, only Kazuha was smart enough to notice that they are one person short. "Hey, does anyone know where the old man went?" she asked. This made everyone stared at her first, then they began turning their heads left and right to see if he was with them, but he wasn't there. Nearly everyone shook their heads in denial. Kazuha widened her eyes. "Could we go back?" she asked out of concern. "Maybe he got left behind at the island..."

Mouri then spoke up. "We already left, and we're not going back. Besides, I saw him talking with the police earlier, he must have went with them. Understand?" Reluctantly, Kazuha nodded.

Back at the island, below the cliffs in the caves, a speedboat came out at full speed. The direction it was heading to wasn't west towards the mainland, rather east. The one driving wasn't a BO member, yet it wasn't a DS member as well. It was Nakamoto Hiroshi himself. But that identity didn't last long when he grasped his own face and peeled the skin off, revealing it to be a face mask. When the whols mask came off, blonde hair took over as one of the highest members of the Black Organization flashed a serious look at the ship which sailed off from behind her. 'I have faith in you, Cool Guy,' Vermouth thought to herself. 'This isn't the right time to tell you the truth, but I promise that I'll be watching all of your backs.' Her phone then rang because of a text message and when she saw who the sender was she decided to get back into the act. 'Look out for each other.'

While everyone was busy outside of the ship interacting with each other, the four detectives remained inside. Conan was getting impatient and he wanted answers now. Realizing that no one is with them at the moment, he figured that this is now the right time to ask his friends. "Guys?" he called out, earning the trio's attention. "Isn't this a good time to tell me what the hell happened to the three of you while I stayed behind?"

"Can't you wait a little longer, Kudo?" replied Heiji.

"I don't care," the boy snarled. "Just tell me what happened to the three of you! And what kind of information did you get anyway?"

"All right, all right, taku… you seem pretty irritated today," he stated, causing Conan's eyebrow to twitch. "Get ready for a bit of story-telling…"

 **Flashback**

 _In the dead of night, Heiji, Kaito, and Saguru were running across the forest in an attempt to locate the underground base of the BO. They had been running for fifteen minutes now and they were halfway to the first potential location, which was the island's electric generator. They stopped for a while and leaned on the trees near them as they panted. "How much longer until we get there?" asked Kaito._

 _"It's within… range… of our sights," said Saguru in between breaths. "I can see it from here. Let's just hope that the HQ is located there, otherwise we'll be running again to the cliffs." Kaito nodded._

 _"All right, break time's over," said Heiji as they continued on running. "Let's continue on, we don't know how much longer Kudo can keep the others' minds off of us.' Finally, they have reached the island's generator. Pointing their phones at it, the whole place was enclosed with a gate. "We made it. But how could an underground HQ in these parts?"_

 _"It's best if we split up, Heiji-kun. You and Kuroba-kun can go check the other side, and I'll stay here, got it?" His two friends nodded and they went off._

 _Thirty minutes have passed and there was still no sign of a trapdoor or secret stairs. They decided to eliminate the generator from the options as they were now heading to the cliffs. At first, they were planning to check the ocean, but they figured that it would be impossible to have an HQ underwater. So righ now, the cliffs are their last option and best bet. Kaito checked the time on his watch, and it was 2:12 in the morning. "Hey, guys," he spoke, catching Saguru and Heiji's attention. "What if the HQ is not even in the cliffs?"_

 _"It's either Gin is lying, or the base somewhere in this island," said Heiji. "But don't think about such negative things. We can't lose hope right now."_

 _"Heiji-kun's right. We must think positive, Kuroba-kun. Right now, Kudo-kun's counting on us. The police are counting on us. The whole world is counting on us. And we can't let them down, do you understand?" Kaito nodded. "Good, I can see the cliffs from here. We're nearly there!"_

 _As soon as they reached the cliffs, they had to stop being in a hurry, because who knows? The cliffs are so steep and the distance to the other side is unimaginable to cross. What's more, the river that flowed below must be deep, so they never know when someone could fall down. "Let's split up," Kaito suggested, as he went further into the cliff, away from the open ocean._

 _While the other two detectives were stumped in trying to find a secret entrance, the former magician caught sight of a strange object. At the bottom of the oppositr cliff, there were huge rocks/boulders compiled together, but that wasn't the strange thing. Kaito noticed that there was a boulder that is somehow situated higher than the others around it. 'Why is it like that?' he thought to himself. 'Wait, that must be it!' "Hakuba! Heiji!" he called out. When his two friends looked at him, he motioned for them to go where he was, and they ran to him._

 _"What is it? Found anything, Kuroba-kun?" asked Saguru._

 _"Check those rocks out," replied Kaito, as he pointed to the boulders he saw earlier. His two friends pointed their phones at it. "Isn't it strange? That boulder is elevated, unlike the others. The huge rock that's on top of the others, do you see it?"_

 _"Now that you mention it, that is rather strange."_

 _"I say we check that out. That may be our winning ticket!" Before he could even do anything, Saguru held him back._

 _"Try saying that when we know how to get there, idiot! Seriously, you're just going to launch yourself at there? How do you even expect that to happen when there's a deep cliff in front of you with a river waiting at the bottom." Kaito just shrugged in response._

 _While the two rivals were arguing, Heiji also noticed the strange boulder below. Like Kaito, he also wanted to check it if would bear a clue regarding the base's whereabouts. But the first question was how to get to the bottom of the cliff. That question was somehow answered when the Osakan detective laid eyes on a staircase out of rock near their side of the cliff. "You guys!" he called out to his friends, causing them to stop arguing. "Check out that rock staircase there," he pointed to the stairs that he found. "There's no doubt that the BO had used those while they were here. Come on!" The Osakan detective led the way down while Kaito and Heiji followed closely. Of course, they were careful with their steps because surely, the stairs haven't been used for a long time, and who knows if the staircase was still as durable as it is now. Luckily, it was still strong and it made Saguru wonder why._

 _'Wait a minute,' he thought to himself. 'If this staircase wasn't used in a long time, erosion surely would've consumed the rock there, but it's as strong as the day it was formed. Could it possibly be that —" his thoughts were cut off because of Kaito calling his name out._

 _"Hey, Hakuba!" Kaito said. "Stop daydreaming and focus on the task at hand, okay?!" Saguru threw up his arms in defeat, as he didn't want another argument to spark between him and Kaito._

 _"Can't you two stop fighting for a second?!" Heiji asked. "I just found a way for us to get to the other side without going through the river!" The two suddenly went closer to him, as he pointed to small rocks barely visible at the surface of the water. "We can cross by stepping on those rocks!" Before Kaito and Saguru could even lunge at Heiji for being an idiot to think of a stupid idea to get them killed, the Osakan detective already spoke. "Before you kill me, think about it. Would you rather risk getting wet and get suspicions from the others or would you rather be careful in stepping on all of these stones?" He looked at his two friends. "Hmm?" Saguru and Kaito grinned embarrassingly. "That's what I thought. Come on, let's cross it."_

 _It was easier said than done, because Heiji almost fell into the water when he was losing his balance. But luckily, Kaito had a firm grip on his shirt before he could even fall into the water. Saguru just kept a calm demeanor which helped him greatly. It took them about five minutes to cross the river, and as soon as they reached the other side, Heiji and Kaito collapsed on the ground, panting in both relief and exhaustion. Saguru knelt down and smirked at both of their faces. "What happened to the confidence that you had earlier, Heiji-kun?" he said._

 _Unwilling to accept what he said, the Osakan detective immediately stood up. "I don't have time for your games," he replied. "Let's move on." Kaito stood up as well, as they continued walking._

 _They were now at the area where the boulders were compiled together. Underneath the top boulder was a doorway-shaped hole; they first looked at each other, before running towards it. There was also another staircase heading directly to the hole. "It looks like we hit the jackpot, guys," Saguru remarked. They went inside and a door greeted them. Their eyes widened when they saw some chains and a huge padlock just in front of them. "They're here?!" Kaito shouted, prompting Saguru to slap a hand to his mouth._

 _Heiji turned to them both. "Look, we have no idea if they're inside or not," he said. "And we don't have any weapons with us, but if we stick together, I'm sure we can topple even the toughest member they can dish out. We are not gonna split up inside, okay?" Saguru let go of Kaito's mouth as the both of them nodded. "Then let's get a move on." Heiji opened the door as they went inside._

 _As soon as Kaito laid his eyes in the whole interior of the HQ, he raised an eyebrow. It had the same design as the HQ in Mt. Fuji. Realizing his advantage, he smirked. Between the three of them, he was the only one who fought against the BO, so he knew where to go. Seeing both Heiji and Saguru scratch their heads in confusion, he stepped forward. "Follow me, I know where to go," he said. Heiji and Saguru looked at each other, before the blonde detective shrugged his shoulders._

 _The former magician immediately headed for the Boss's room, which was straight ahead. Heiji and Saguru kept turning their heads to different directions in case that a member would be spying on them. Shakingly, Kaito opened the door, and he was shocked to see that it wasn't locked at all. Because if it was, he would've broke in by shattering the see-through glass of the room. The blonde detective saw a light switch by the door and he turned it on. They turned off their phones and started to split up and search the area._

 _While Kaito and Heiji were busy searching closets and drawers, Saguru checked the computer at the desk in the middle of the room to see if it was still working. To his utmost surprise, it was! However, this confused him because of its capabilities. 'How can this computer still work?' he thought to himself. 'If we assume that many years have passed since this was used, then this should not be working anymore! But it could be still accessible like it was just bought yesterday! Is it possible that someone is sneaking in here?' He was cut off from his thoughts when he saw that the computer needed a password in order to access it. He narrowed his eyes and turned it off. 'Smart of them, indeed. What else could we find here?'_

 _"Guys, I found something!" piped up Heiji, causing his two friends to head over to where he was. "Check this record book out." When Kaito and Saguru opened the material, they widened their eyes._

 _"T-this is…" said Kaito._

 **End of Flashback**

"And that's how we got this record book of BO members," Kaito finished, as he brought out a book the size of a regular logbook but it was as thick as an encyclopedia. "With this, we can easily track other members of the BO."

Conan was wide-eyed throughout the whole flashback of events. Although it was a little hard to keep track of everything his friends just said, he was still able to understand. "Is there any other information that you've gotten besides this book?"

The former magician shook his head. "No, we had no time left. What's more, we heard some strangs noises in the hallways of the HQ. So we had to hurry back with what we've got."

Conan stroked his chin. "Kaito, you and I both know that almost all of the members of the organization died when we fought them. That record book must be showing us the members that are now dead. Our trip to the island is wasted if the information you got is out of date."

"Have a little faith, Shinichi! You're right, this book may be out of date with the information it has. But right now, every information is crucial if we are to be declared the victor." Conan looked at the ground before finally nodding.

"But what's confusing me right now," said Heiji. "Is the fact that the main door to the HQ was unlocked. Did someone go there, or was the last member who left the base too stupid to even lock their dangerous HQ up?"

"The most probable answer to that," said Saguru. "Is someone must have went there. They are too smart to even let it become unlocked for anyone to go inside. But the questions are who, when, and why?"

"You guys," said Conan. "Let's not worry about that for now. What's important is that we have information with us. Let's focus on what's happening with us currently." The trio nodded. "Now let's get some rest, I haven't even slept yet. We still have tims before we get back to the mainland." The boy yawned as he went down the stairs to some bedrooms, and he was followed closely by his friends.

 **Six hours later, Hakase's house…**

"Ai-chan, can you please check the time on your watch?" asked Kazuko. The two teenage girls were on their way back home after another boring day inside of their school. It was even more boring since Conan wasn't there.

Looking at the watch Conan gave her as a gift weeks ago, she announced the time. "It's 12:27. Are you in a hurry, Nomura-san?"

Feeling quickly embarrassed, a faint blush tainted her cheeks as she looked away. "N-no, I just wantes to know what time it is, nothing special."

Flashing her signature smirk, Ai decided to press things further. "You and Fujimoto-kun just want some alone time, don't you?" Kazuko's cheeks burned red as she tried to hide her face. "You two already had your first date a few days ago and now you're having your second date already?"

"It's not like that!" Kazuko pouted. "I just promised him earlier that I'd meet him later on because he needs help with some essays that a few teachers assigned him to do. There's nothing romantic about that!"

Ai's smirk widened. "Oh, really? Maybe I should tag along with you two later on with a camera so that I'll take pictures of whatever you two are going to do…"

"You better stop it, Ai-chan! Or else I'm telling Shinichi-kun to tease you non-stop for the rest of the week!"

"Geez, calm down," the scientist stated with a chuckle. "I was just messing around with you." Kazuko crossed her arms and snorted, clearly not pleased with how Ai was acting right now. "Come on, Nomura-san… Can't you take a little joke?"

"What happened to the old Ai-chan that Ayumi-chan and the others have been telling me about? They said that you're different now, when compared to when they first met you. They told me that the old Ai-chan was sarcastic, quiet, and a bit cold." This made Ai raise an eyebrow at her. "But now, you're more talkative, a bit boisterous and loves to mess around."

"Don't talk like that, I'm still me!" the scientist defended. "I'm still the same, I just underwent a few changes courtesy of Shinichi. And why do you care about the way I act all of a sudden?" She didn't even give Kazuko time to answer as she spoke again. "Anyway, let's just get back home, I need to continue working on the antidote." Kazuko groaned as they continued walking back.

As soon as they got inside the premises, Ai knocked on the door, waiting for Hakase to open it. When no one answered after half a minute, Kazuko knocked, this time it was louder. But there was still no response. Ai knocked again, and when there was still no answer, she opened the door, shocked to find out that it was unlocked. But what shocked her more, as well as Kazuko, was seeing the whole house in a mess in front of them.

The couches were toppled over, as well as the tables. The bookshelves were taken down and Hakase's computer was broken down into little pieces part by part. They looked at each other, before splitting up to check each section of the house.

Ai checked the kitchen, and boy was it trashed. The contents of the garbage bin there was scattered on the floor. The food inside the refrigerator was scattered on the table. She covered her mouth with both of her hands to suppress the gasps that were coming out of her mouth.

Kazuko went upstairs to check on their bedrooms. Her gasps of horror were spot on because the bedsheets looked like they were ripped by claws. Their cabinets were lying on the floor with all of their clothes. The same happened in all three bedrooms. In a hurry, she went downstairs and met up with Ai. "What the hell happened here?!" Kazuko asked.

"I don't know!" replied Ai. "Have you seen Hakase?"

"No, he wasn't upstairs. Wasn't he down here?" Ai shook her head, causing Kazuko's eyes to widen. "Have you checked the basement yet?" Ai shook her head, she didn't look inside her lab yet. Kazuko led the way downstairs while Ai followed closely.

They hesitated in opening the door, as they were terrified of what was inside. They were shivering in fear before Kazuko took out her phone and turned on the flashlight, knowing that Ai never had any light source whatsoever in her lab. They opened the door but they didn't barge in instantly.

"Hakase?" Ai called out, but nobody answered. "Hakase, are you there?" Again, silence took over. The two girls took a deep breath before going inside. Ai had to cover her mouth in order to muffle the scream she was emitting.

The test tubes containing the samples of the antidote were shattered and the liquid was freely flowing all over the floor. When Kazuko turned her phone to Ai's rats that were her test subjects, they were mutilated with some body parts missing, causing the girl to widen her eyes in disgust and fear. They knew for sure that Hakase wasn't in the house right now, since they have checked every room there is to check. Lastly, when they shone the light to Ai's computer, they saw that the monitor's screen was shattered, but there was a small piece of paper stuck on it.

When Ai took and looked at it, two words was enough to erase the serious look on her face, make her collapse to her knees and sob loudly. Kazuko widened her eyes and raised an eyebrow in confusion. She checked first if her friend knelt on the shattered glass from the test tubes. Seeing that Ai was safe, she took the paper from the crying scientist and looked at it herself. Her eyes widened more as she threw an arm around her friend to try and ease the pain she was feeling, all while resisting the urge to cry as well.

Two words were enough to make the unbreakable scientist "break". At first, only Conan was the only one whom she could fully reveal her feelings to, but she thought wrong when a thing from her past made her cry again. But what did the letter say?

 _Hello, Sherry…_

 **Meanwhile…**

Kaito, Saguru, Aoko, and Akako all bid their farewells at the station, as they were heading back home. Kazuha and Heiji however, wanted to stay for one more dinner before going back to Osaka. Right now, they were setting down their bags at the agency. While everyone else was tired, Conan didn't waste any time as he immediately grabbed his skateboard to go to Hakase's. Just as Conan went out the door, Ran noticed him and stood up. "Conan-kun!" she called out.

"Don't!" said Heiji, interrupting the girl in her tracks. "I can tell he's just itching to see his girlfriend, you should just rest." Ran nodded as she sat back down on the couch.

Excited at the thought of seeing his beloved Ai again, it took him mere minutes to get to Hakase's home. He got off his board and decided to walk the rest of the way. But what he saw outside of the house definitely confused him.

There were two police cars, and he could point out that Takagi-keiji and Shiratori-keibu were there. He also saw some policemen placing police tape just at the gate. He then saw Ai and Kazuko, albeit only their faces, because they were in cloth that acted like hoods for them. Weirded out with what was going on, he decided to ask the two inhabitants of the house personally. He leaned his board at the wall and started to run.

Ai, as soon as she heard footsteps, turned her head to the direction of the sound, and her eyes widened at seeing her beloved detective. His arms were already wide open and she lunges herself at him, tears flowing from her eyes freely. They hugged each other like there was no tomorrow as she began to sob into his shirt. He started to wonder why she was crying. Kazuko then went towards him and just warmly smiled, not wanting to separate the couple from their moment. "What happened here?" the boy asked, causing Kazuko to look down on the ground. "Why are the police here? Why are they putting police tape all over Hakase's gate? And where is that old man?"

Kazuko gulped heavily before finally answering. "The Organization made a move," she breathed out, causing the boy's eyes to widen. "The house looks okay on the outside, but it's destroyed at the inside." Kazuko looked up to see Conan's shocked face before continuing. "Everything is so messed up, even our rooms, and Ai-chan's laboratory. Speaking of her lab, the antidote's data has been deleted, the BO literally killed her test subjects, broke her samples, and destroyed her computer."

Shocked with Kazuko's statements, he patted Ai's back to try and stop her from crying at least. "When did this happen?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Maybe earlier. This morning, everything was so normal until we left the house to go to school. Then an hour ago, we came back and the result was what I told you earlier."

Conan gritted his teeth while resisting the tears to flow out of his eyes as well. "This is all my fault! How could I let this happen?!" he cursed himself. "I'm such an idiot! I thought for sure that you two would be safe if you had stayed behind! But I was wrong! I'm sorry!"

Kazuko stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "It's not your fault, Shinichi-kun. We didn't know that they would make their move. And it was unexpected." She brought out the paper that they found at Ai's computer and handed it to Conan. "Here, look at this."

Once Conan saw what was written on the paper, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he clenched his fists. It was only then that he noticed that someone was missing in the place. "Where's Hakase?!" he asked frantically. Before Kazuko could answer, the two of them heard Ai's muffled voice through the boy's shirt. "What?"

Ai finally separated from their hug and looked up at him with teary green eyes as she spoke. "He's… gone," she whimpered.

That was all Conan needed to hear. Before the two girls even knew it, he took his skateboard and started to head for the police station. He even passed by Ryuuichi, who was going to Hakase's home as well. The prodigy tried to call out his name, but Conan didn't bother to turn around. Ryuuichi raised an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders and continued on to his destination. Afterwards, he saw Kazuko and Ai outside of the house and the same thing that happened to Conan happened to him as well.

Going inside the station, the boy ignored Megure's greeting and continued on walking towards Gin's cell. At first, the inspector tried on stopping him, but when he knew where the boy was trying to go to and observing the look on his face, he decided to just follow Conan.

The door burst open, causing Gin to look up at whoever was going in. He had just woken up from a nap as he was rubbing his eyes since his vision was a little blurry. When his eyesight became clear, his eyes met the gaze of Conan, who was glaring daggers at him. He looked outside and saw Megure-keibu, who was just watching them. "Look who's back," Gin spoke. "How did the trip go, Kudo Shinichi?"

"Shut up!" Conan snapped, pointing his index finger at Gin, causing the latter to raise an eyebrow at him. The brough out the paper that was in his pocket, uncrumpled it, and showed it to Gin. "What the hell is the meaning of this?! I found this at my neighbor's home! That damn organization destroyed his house from the inside!"

Reading the text on the paper made Gin lean back on the wall, close his eyes and cross his arms. Conan's eyebrows furrowed at his sudden action. Gin sighed first before he opened both of his eyes and spoke. "Seems they have made their presence known…"

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Are you somehow involved in this?!"**_

 _ **"Let me give you a hand…"**_

 _ **"I never laid a hand on Sherry…"**_

 _ **"Arigato…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 36: GIN SAVES A BOY?**_

* * *

 _ **How was this chapter? I'm sorry if this was mostly a flashback, but I just can't add Kaito, Heiji, and Saguru's little journey in the last chapter. Because… Dun dun dun! Chapter 34 set the new record for the longest chapter with 8,411 words. And it would certainly tire me out if I add the trio's journey there. What's more, I needed to have a good stopping point. That's why I had the flashback told here. To clear everything up, the year in which this fanfic started is 1994, which is the year that the first manga of the franchise is released. Let's assume a year still hasn't passed since Conan shrunk. TNG, which is held 10 years after, will be 2004. Man, it's hard to be in full detail for this fanfic, it's like I'm creating a new anime here! I am also grateful that the idea of Kazuko and Ryuuichi popped into my mind! I don't even know if I could complete this chapter without Kazuko! I hope you all get the mystery behind Nakamoto Hiroshi at the beginning. Anyways, there are now only six chapters left before the Revenge arc is completed. If you got the time, tell me what arc is your favorite? Please? So here's the rundown so far. Hakase is gone, it's unknown if he's dead or not; Ai's lab is destroyed, erasing all data on the antidote; the house is an absolute mess, with only a note left as evidence; which leaves Conan and the gang stumped! What will happen next? Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	36. Gin saves a Boy?

_**Guess who's celebrating their birthday today?! ME! To be honest, I was supposed to publish this chapter tomorrow because I'm having fun, but since I have nothing to do right now, get ready for another part of the Revenge arc! About last chapter's summaries, I apologize if they're short, but as you all know, this site has a low limit on words to use for summaries, so yeah. In this chapter, you'll see how Gin acts around other people without his devilish personality. Of course, I know that the events in this fanfic have no chance in happening in the franchise, because this is purely imagination. But this is my fanfic, and I can make any character do what I want here. In this chapter, Ai and Kazuko will live in Conan's house temporarily, while Hakase's house in under investigation, so you better read on. To those of the readers who didn't get Vermouth's appearance last chapter, she was actually disguised as the old man there, Nakamoto Hiroshi. She was the one who unlocked the HQ in Ryouka Island for the Gosho boys to infiltrate. What are her reasons, you ask? We'll get to that in the future, don't worry. If it's obvious, then keep quiet. Regarding Hakase, I can't say that he's kidnapped, and I also can't say that he's killed. Let's assume that his status for now is 'unknown' until I reveal it, so you better hold on, folks! A quick update on MOTH, I have already come up with the whole plot, and the only thing left now are chapter names. That is if, I want the chapters to have titles. TNG's plot is still in development but I'll be giving updates as the story progresses. The cover picture for MOTH is done and I've posted it in my FB page. View it if you want, but it's also in Wattpad to save the trouble. It was fun writing this chapter, specifically the parts where Gin becomes kind of funny, so let's see how it pays off! (This may be one of my fave chapters so far…)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own DC, or any of the characters, only the plot of this story.**_

* * *

Conan was still glaring daggers at the man in front of him as he crumpled the paper he held with his fist and threw it inside his cell. "Are you somehow involved in this?!" he furiously asked, with his taking full control of his emotions right now. Gin raised an eyebrow, as the boy didn't act like this the last time he visited his cell. The former member of the BO took the paper, uncrumpled it and read it himself before he finally spoke.

"Have you forgotten the place where I am right now? Or are you saying that I can be in two places at once?" he asked in a calm tone, which seemed to calm Conan's angry demeanor.

The boy narrowed his eyes a bit. "Are you telling me the truth? I still don't fully trust your allegiance right now, and for all we know, you could be plotting something behind our backs."

"Are you blind to not see this place where I am in?" he replied with irritation in his voice. "If I still had a link with the organization, they would've invaded this station and rescue me." Reluctantly, Conan nodded. "If I may ask, how did you obtain this note? I am certain that Vodka knew about Sherry because we cornered her at the top of a building one night, so it's not a surprise if the whole organization knew about her now. However," he paused and showed him the paper, causing the boy to raise an eyebrow. "This note was supposed to be for Sherry to see, yet you have it with you. Do you know her?"

Conan hesitated the urge to speak. He knew that if he spoke the truth, there's no going back. There were still doubts regarding Gin's allegiance at the moment, whether he is still loyal to the organization or he is now a former member. The boy finally decided to give it a chance and tell the truth. "Yes," he mumbled, looking away. "I know her."

Gin leaned in closer to the cell's bars. This was getting interesting. A high school detective and a former member of the BO? He decided to do a little questioning to find out if the boy was speaking the truth. "How do you know her and what is Sherry's real name if you do?"

"Her name is Shiho Miyano…" Gin raised an eyebrow. "And I know her because we are currently in a relationship."

Gin wanted to laugh right now. He just didn't want to lose his pride. What was he hearing? A high school detective who shrunk as a kid is in a relationship with a teenager? "How are you two idiots lovers?" he grumbled, clearly displeased with the joke that he assumed the boy was making. "It's easy to daydream about it, Kudo Shinichi. But based on your appearance right now, how could she ever involve herself with a kid? According to you, you shrunk way before Sherry escaped."

Conan stepped closer to the cell and glared at him. "I really don't want to tell you about it right now, because it will most likely be a thorn in Shiho's heart when she finds out that you know about her. But since you are away from the BO, I'll tell you about it." Right now, all of Gin's attention was focused solely on the boy, he was getting more and more interested with what was happening. "Do you remember how she escaped the organization?"

"I have no idea how she did it, but she was locked up inside a room."

Conan took a deep breath. Ai would probably kill him for this, but in order for Gin to help them, he needs to know the truth. "She had a pill of APTX 4869 in her hand the whole time. She consumed it, and just like what happened to me, instead of dying, she just shrunk." Instead of widened eyes, Gin's eyebrows furrowed. "Then she was able to escape with her new body. She is now known under the name Ai Haibara."

"Are you telling me that Sherry is a kid right now?" Conan nodded. "But what about that one night where —" Conan cut him off since he knew what happened that time.

"She drank something in one of the rooms there that made her change back. She turned back to a kid not too long after." The boy then caught Gin looking at the floor. "You know, the last time we met was on a ship a few months ago," the man looked up at him and Conan threw him a suspicious look. "Are you sure you forgot what happened, or are you just acting like an idiot right now?"

"Want to switch bodies, you dumb detective?!" he suddenly blurted out with a vein ticking on his head, causing Conan to raise an eyebrow. "I already told you that my memory isn't good, and I always forget the less important things!" Conan sweat-dropped. "So stop bragging about your large head!" Conan then snapped.

"What do you mean, 'bragging'?" Conan replied, clearly not pleased with Gin's remark. "I was just confirming something! And I don't have a large head, pervert!"

"Who are you calling a pervert, you scaredy-cat?!"

Outside the room, Megure sweat-dropped as he watched the verbal exchange of words between the two. 'Is this an interrogation or a pep talk?' he thought with a sarcastic chuckle.

"I ain't a scaredy-cat, you idiotic bastard!"

That was the last straw for the two of them as they butted heads. Unfortunately, they didn't hit each other's foreheads, but it was the iron bars instead. "AAARRRGGGHHH!" they screamed out in pain as they turned away from each other. A few seconds later, they turned to each other again, with a look of annoyance on their faces. Seeing that their little fight was over, Gin continued on.

"If that's what happened to her, then that spells bad news for you, gaki." He threw the paper back outside the cell and Conan picked it up. "That would mean that the organization already knows that she shrunk. This is your problem." Gin leaned back on wall behind him. "Even so, I never expected Sherry to shrink into a tiny kid like you. No wonder she was able to escape our eyes easily. If I never rebelled against the organization, I might be chasing after her as well."

Remembering their little outburst earlier, Conan realized that the man in front of him wasn't purely evil. He had a comedic side within him, and even though Conan thought he wasn't the type of person who gets into jokes, he still showed it earlier. This made Conan place more of his trust in the man. The boy stood up and coughed a bit. "Thank you for your cooperation. I need to go back to investigate more about what happened." Before Conan can move a muscle, Gin's voice stopped him.

"Let me give you a hand…" he spoke in a low voice. Conan turned to him with a confused expression. "Since the BO made a move, why not strike back?" Conan's eyebrow raised even more. "I can help with your investigation, since I was a former member of the organization," the boy snuck a glance at Megure, who just looked at the floor, leaving Conan to himself. "If you think that this is some sort of escape plan, have as many police to watch over me as you want. As I have said before, my goal now is to bring the organization down. But I can't blame you if you refuse, so you just do what you think is best, gaki."

Conan tried to search for anything suspicious on his face, but didn't find any. He sighed first before composing himself. "Grudges don't last forever, Gin. You should know that. I'll let you investigate alongside us." The former member's eyes widened slightly. "The police here will escort you tomorrow to the house." He stopped at the doorway and looked at him one more time. "If you try to do something suspicious, we won't hesitate to kill you, got it?" Gin nodded slightly. The boy closed the room and turned to Megure, who was sitting just outside.

"Do you know what you just did, Kudo-kun?" he asked.

"Hai, keibu," replied Conan.

"You know that I trust you way too much, Kudo, so I'll let you do what you want. However, Superintendent Matsumoto must be informed about this." Conan nodded. "Do you know the consequences on what might happen if he tries to escape?"

"I'll take full responsibility, keibu. I'll watch him for the whole day tomorrow."

"You should." The inspector then stood up. "Now that's settled, let's go to Agasa-san's house and I'll check it out myself. I wonder how Takagi-kun and Shiratori-kun are doing there right now." The two walked downstairs but they were surprised to see Takagi and Shiratori outside of the meeting room. Conan noticed that there were three little figures beside them, whom he deduced were his friends. As soon as the two saw Megure, they stood up and saluted.

"Keibu!" they said in unison.

Megure stopped walking and saluted as well. Conan kept staring at the three figures behind Shiratori and Takagi. "You're finished securing the house?" asked Megure. Both officers nodded. "So what did you find there?"

Takagi brought out a small notepad and began to read what was written on it. "Well, the area outside the house was pretty normal. But the inside was a mess. Nearly every furniture was messed up in there. We decided not to arrange everything back to its proper place, because it would take time and maybe ruin important clues."

"Then who are those kids with you right now?"

Two of the three kids took off their hoods, exposing themselves. "These two girls live in the house with Agasa-san, keibu. The other boy with them is one of their friends."

"Then where's Agasa-san?"

"He wasn't there, keibu," answered Shiratori.

"Nani?!"

"He wasn't at their house according to the girls. We drew the possibility that he is either kidnapped or murdered. I just hope it's not the latter."

While the three kept conversing, Conan went to his friends, with Ai giving him a big hug. He was relieved to see her not crying anymore, but he felt that she could once again give in to her emotions so he patted her back. When the both of them pulled away, he stared into her depressed eyes. "You and Kazuko-chan should live in my house for the time being," he said. Upon hearing this, the two girls' eyes widened.

"You don't have to do that," replied the scientist. "It'd be too much for you and your family for me and Nomura-san to —" she was interrupted midway by Conan's chuckling.

"It's fine, you know. Subaru-san wouldn't mind two girls living with him temporarily. And besides, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't do so?" he finished with a laugh, bringing a smile to Ai as well, which he loved seeing from her. They hugged each other again, and Kazuko joined as well as soon as she saw Ai's finger beckoning her to join in. Ryuuichi warmly smiled at seeing his friends in such a tender moment. 'But I need to talk to Akai-san first regarding this. And he should be careful around the Ai and Kazuko while they're at my house.' When Conan broke the hug, his attention was diverted to Megure-keibu.

"Kudo-kun!" he called out, causing Ai, Kazuko, and Ryuuichi to widen their eyes and stare at Conan in disbelief. He told the police about his real identity? The question was why? What could be the reason why he told such a deep secret to the authority? And why didn't he tell them sooner? They were his friends, after all. "Our investigation will begin tomorrow, we shall meet at Agasa-san's house at 8 in the morning." Conan nodded. "And before you go, what do you think we should do with those two friends of yours there?"

"They'll stay at my house until it's safe for them to be back at Hakase's home. Can you please order for the men that are still there to let my friends pack up their things so that they can move to my house at once." The three kids just looked on with their eyes wide open. What the hell was going on? Why do they know Conan's secret?

"Very well." Megure looked at Takagi and nodded, and the latter left for a moment to bring out his phone and make a call.

"I'll talk to you about the information I know tomorrow, keibu. Be ready for a whole revelation. "The group of friends started to head outside with Conan waving his arm goodbye, leaving three policemen confused with what he's saying.

As soon as they got outside of the station, Ai grabbed his shoulders, much to his surprise. "The police know who you really are?!" Conan's eyebrows raised upwards. "Since when and why did you tell them?!"

Conan gently brushed both of her arms off his shoulders first before answering. "Well, the first ons who knew were Takagi-keiji and Sato-keiji, I told them when I was in the hospital right after our vacation to Hawaii. When we fought the BO, all of the police in that station now knows who I really am. And to answer your second question, I told them because they can be trusted, and this secret of ours won't last forever, you know." Ai nodded in response as they continued on walking. "Tomorrow, I'm gonna tell them the truth regarding Kazuko, Ryuuichi, and you." This caused the three mentioned to stop and widen their eyes. They stared at Conan in shock, whi just continued walking.

"Are you crazy, Shinichi-kun?!" said Kazuko. "What on Earth are you thinking?! Why will you tell them?!" Conan stopped walking and looked behind him.

"What is worse, Kazuko-chan? Not telling the police the truth and face this ourselves? Or telling them the truth and getting all the help we could get?" Kazuko didn't answer, causing Conan to smirk. "Now you know my reason. Now get moving, lazyheads." The boy kept on walking. "We still have to get your things at Hakase's." The trio looked at each other before rushing to Conan's side.

When they got back, they learned a horrible truth. None of their clothes are fit to wear anymore, because they were all either burned, ripped, or ruined according to the policemen. Luckily, Kazuko had a solution as an idea struck her head. "Forget about our clothes, sir!" she said to the policemen there. "Ai-chan and me will just go shopping tomorrow for new ones." Conan, Ryuuichi, and Ai's eyebrows went up. They didn't expect for that to come from her. "I have money, sir! Don't worry!" she finished in a cheerful voice, earning the nods of all policemen there. "We'll just get our most important valuables there!"

The two girls were still wearing their school bags up until this point. Kazuko had her phone with her the entire time, as well as her books. While Ai had the data regarding APTX 4869 with her. These were the things that they always brought with them to school. After manging to recover a few important things to them, like a couple of Ai's fashion magazines, they went to Conan's house. The boy already contacted Okiya Subaru and informed him of Ai and Kazuko.

The two girls settled down on the couch and took off their bags which contained their belongings. "So until when are we going to stay here?" asked Kazuko.

"Obviously, you're crashing here until Hakase's house is restored," replied Conan. "Now, I hope you three know that someone else is also here at the moment." The three nodded, and Conan presumed that it was Ai who told them about Subaru living at the Kudo mansion. "You lost all progress on the antidote, right?" Conan turned to Ai. She just looked down on the floor and nodded sadly. "Wait until tomorrow, I think I have a solution to that, okay?" A smile appeared on her face as she nodded.

"You're investigating the house tomorrow, right Shinichi-kun?"

"Yes, and don't think about joining me. It's too dangerous for you and Ai to be outside, regarding what happened today. Don't worry about school as well. I'll call Kobayashi-sensei about your future absences." The boy stood up. "All right, I should get going now. I have a lot of things to do."

"Then I should get going too," said Ryuuichi as he stood up as well. "I need to finish your newly improved magnifying glass tonight. It will surely help in your investigation tomorrow." The two of them stopped at the doorway and waved their hands before stepping outside, leaving the two girls.

Conan went up the stairs to the second floor of the agency, wanting to avoid Ran at the moment. Not surprisingly, Kogoro was sleeping in his seat due to being drunk. The boy went to the phone and dialled a familiar number. "Moshi-moshi?" asked the receiver.

"Megure-keibu," Conan began. "It's me. I would like to make a request…"

 **Tomorrow…**

Conan yawned as he headed down the street going to Hakase's. He was still a bit sleepy, but he had to get there early. He knew that he had perfect timing when he saw three police cars parking in front of the house through the opposite end of the street. He then ran all the way seeing that he was close. Just as he reached the house, Megure-keibu stepped out of the first car. When the inspector saw him, he spoke. "Oh, I see you're in time, Kudo-kun!" said Megure.

"Have you done what I asked you to do, keibu?" asked the boy.

The inspector knelt down to Conan's height and gave a thumbs-up. "Yes, the laboratory is ready and all of our forensic scientists are ready to help. Ai-kun can start working anytime." Conan grinned in response.

"So where's Gin?" Megure directed his eyes to the second car, as Gin stepped out of the car with two policemen in his side. He wasn't handcuffed, yet that wasn't the weird thing about him. Instead of his BO attire, he now donned a bonnet on his head; a white shirt covered with a black leather jacket; blue pants, and a pair of brown shoes. Conan tried to suppress his laughter, but he couldn't as his laughs took over the silence. Gin furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at him.

"Is there something funny for you to laugh about?" Gin grumbled.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…" he paused for a moment to look at Gin, who had a vein ticking on his forehead. "You look so damn funny wearing those!"

Gin had steam coming out of his nose which would determine that he was pissed off based on anime shows. He walked over to where Conan was and he was clearly not pleased. "If you're gonna make fun of me, at least tell that to my face so I can kick your balls all the way to the moon!" he bellowed.

"Taku, can't take a simple joke?" the boy countered with a shrug as he stood up. "So how you been lately? Haven't seen you since last night."

Gin sweat-dropped. "Damn detective," he muttered, and Conan grinned at him. The former member groaned at the boy in annoyance. 'He's more annoying than Vodka,' he thought to himself.

After making sure that nobody else was around, everyone went inside the premises. As much as he didn't like it, Conan decided to stick with Gin during the whole investigation because he had many questions in his mind. Most of it involved Ai/Shiho. Why was she terrified of him, why was he obsessed with her, and many other questions. While Megure-keibu and most of the policemen searched the front part of the house, Gin, Conan and the two officers watching the former went to the back. The boy could only hope that Ai wasn't watching them through the window from his house. While Gin wasn't looking, Conan motioned for the two to stop watching him and that he'll do it himself. Without any argument, the two nodded and left the two there to reunite with the other officers. Surprisingly, the former member was really investigating for clues when he knelt down and checked the fallen books from the shelves. Seizing the opportunity to ask, the boy went closer to him. "I need to ask you something," he said.

"If you're planning to make fun of how I look again," said Gin, never taking his eyes off of the objects on the floor. "Get ready for a beatdown, gaki."

"No, it's not about that. Do you remember how I told you that Shiho and I are together?" Gin turned his gaze to him for a moment, before turning back to the objects on the floor. "I need to ask you something regarding her."

Gin snorted. "If you're planning to ask me for advice, go ask another person, lover boy." Conan's eyes widened and he blushed. "I'm not into romance so go figure it out for yourself."

"It's not like that!" Conan roared, with a tick mark on his head. "This ain't got anything to do with love!" Conan's sudden outburst made Gin chuckle a bit, which left the boy staring in astonishment. When he stood up and went to a new area to investigate, Conan followed closely. "So can you tell me why were you so obsessed with killing her?" This made Gin stop in his tracks as he widened his eyes.

He scoffed first before answering. "Why do you want to know and what good will it do?"

"If you want me to trust you, then you need to start being honest."

Gin stood up and faced the boy. "I never asked for you to trust me!" The stoic expression on Conan's face didn't change. "I am just doing this because I want to." He knelt down again and continued on his task. "Besides, after all this, I'm not helping with the recovery of any harm done by the organization. The deal was I help bring them down. Not help the people affected."

"Fine. Then I want answers because I want to understand why. I want to understand why you were so evil in the past." Gin's eyes widened. "I know that you were once my enemy, but I do not hold grudges on people who are acting not on their own cause. Don't answer me that you were doing as you wish when you were with the BO. You yourself said that you became what you are right now due to being corrupted by your father. Now tell me why you are obsessed with Shiho. Did you two had a past relationship? Were you hungry for revenge? Speak up." Gin scoffed and closed his eyes.

"What makes you think we had a relationship? Are you saying I'm a pedophile?" Conan raised an eyebrow. "I'm 37 years old, and she's 18 like you. I never laid a hand on Sherry, because I am not some pervert. Now would you tell me why you thought that me and Sherry were a thing in the past," Gin finished through gritted teeth as he looked at the boy.

"S-sorry," he stuttered. "It's just that you're always on the hunt for her, and your attachment to her seems abnormal."

Gin turned his attention back to the piece of debris that he was holding. "The only reason why I chased after her is because I wanted to kill her." Conan's eyes widened.

 **Flashback**

 _"You'll never… get away… with this," Akemi said as she tried to stop the bleeding from her stomach. The bullet wound was too deep, and she knew that she won't last long. "You… will regret… what you've done."_

 _"Just shut up," Gin said as he grinned. "Truth be told, we could've just knocked you out, bring you back, and explain to Ano Kata that you leaving was just a simple misunderstanding, but we figured that you're no use to us anymore. There's someone else we could count on to finish what you all started." An image of Shiho Miyano appeared in his mind. "She's one of the top brains in the organization," Akemi's eyebrows furrowed. "She won't let us down with the new toxin." Suddenly, Akemi began to chuckle as she glared at the two of them, confusing both Gin and Vodka._

 _"You really think… my little sister… will help you in achieving what you want? I may have failed in my mission… to bring all of you down, but she won't... The toxin she created is... what she will use against you as soon as she finds out I'm gone…" She clutched her abdomen tight. "She could slip the drug into anything you drink or eat, and you won't know that you just died." Gin's eyes widened as he began to think and imagine scenarios about what she just said to him. Rage filled up his body as he shot Akemi one more time, causing her to collapse on the ground. He put his gun back in his pocket while panting. Vodka, who was worried a bit about his partner, tried to place a hand on his shoulder but Gin brushed him off rather harshly._

 _"Don't touch me," he snarled, causing Vodka to take a few steps back. Gin looked one more time at Akemi, who was still breathing a bit but was unable to move. "Let's get out of here," Gin said as he placed his hand on his pockets._

 _"H-hai," replied Vodka, following Gin closely behind._

 **End of Flashback**

"… now you know why I chased after your precious…" Gin paused for a moment. "Shiho." Conan raised an eyebrow and wondered why he stopped talking when he was about to say Ai's real name. "I just didn't want to die, and what her sister said gave me nightmares. If I died, I would have failed kaa-san in getting justice for her death. And the only way to be sure is if Sherry dies. When she was still with us, I simply tried to scare her every time, hoping that it will drive her mad, since I can't just kill her. Then luck teamed with me when she escaped. That'd be the perfect opportunity to get rid of her. Is your question answered?" He waited for a response from the boy, but there was none. "Hey, I asked you if you —" he turned around and saw that Conan was just staring at him with his mouth wide open. Gin sweat-dropped. 'Don't tell me that made me say all of that without him actually listening!' he cursed inwardly. He tried snapping his fingers in front of his face, to no avail. Gin groaned and flicked his forehead instead, managing to bring the boy down and snap him out of his trance.

Conan massaged the part of his forehead where he was hit. "What the hell was that for?!" he complained.

Gin stood up and moved to a new area. "I asked you if you understood what I said. In case you didn't, go find another guy to talk to, I'm not telling you again."

Conan followed him and continued on investigating. "No, no, I did get what you said." An image of Ai and Akemi appeared in the boy's mind. "So that's the only reason why you were obsessed with Shiho? It's just because you didn't want to die and you were scared that she might sneak the drug in what you're consuming?"

"I thought I made it clear that I don't like to repeat myself?" Conan sighed at his attitude and continued on.

'So maybe the reason why is so afraid of him is that he always goes after her,' Conan thought. 'Good. Everything is starting to make sense now.' He snuck a glance at the former member in front of him. 'He's starting to earn my trust already…'

 **Two hours later…**

Conan went back to the station with the police because he was still talking with Gin even after their first day of investigation. So far, there are other leads except for the note that was left on Ai's computer. Conan and Gin even had a little funny moment that started when Gin smacked him in the head because Conan was so noisy that it annoyed him. In retaliation, the boy punched him in the arm and that's where it went back and forth for the next ten minutes that even a few police collapsed on the floor while laughing at the two's little fight. Right now, Conan stepped out of the second car and Gin went out as well. "You're going to help investigating again." Gin nodded. "Well, I won't be around tomorrow, I have some important stuff I need to do."

Unfortunately, Gin's attention wasn't directed to the boy. The former member was staring blankly at a little boy who was running down the opposite sidewalk, chasing a red balloon. _**(Pennywise, much?)**_ When the balloon went to the middle of the road, the boy chased after it as a car honked behind him. With quick reactions that he had learned during his days with the organization, he rushed down the street and two police went out of the car to chase him down, thinking that he was escaping. But when Conan saw where he was heading to, the boy just smirked.

The honking of the car behind the boy became louder as he turned around. The boy screamed and closed his eyes, but the pain never came. The next thing he felt was landing on a body. When he openex his eyes, he was surprised to see that he was being held in the arms of another person!

Gin let go of the boy as he stood up, panting. The little kid stared at him with his mouth wide open. The former member brushed off the dust of the ground that got to his jacket. All of the police from the other side, including Megure and Takagi widened their eyes at what they saw. A criminal just risked his life to save a little kid? Even the driver of the car stopped and looked to see if he hit anyone. Without warning, the little boy hugged Gin's leg, causing him to widen his eyes. "Arigato oji-san!" the boy announced over and over again, unknowingly bringing a small smile to Gin's face.

A woman then walked up to him afterwards. Her faced looked stained with tears, meaning that she was crying. The little boy let go of Gin's leg and ran to the woman as she carried him. "Arigato…" she said, before turning and walked away.

Much to all the policemen's surprise, Gin went back to the other side instead of running off. He stopped by the second police car when Conan began to speak. "Nice work," he said, smirking at the former member.

"What are you talking about?" Gin replied in a neutral tone.

"Listen, I don't know what made you react and do what you did earlier…" Gin raised an eyebrow. "It could be either out of instinct, you want everyone to trust you, or you just wanted to help." His eyes widened and Conan shrugged. "Either way, you can tell me about it next time we meet." Conan turned around and started walking away, waving his arm goodbye in the process. "See ya!" he called out, leaving Gin in his thoughts, thinking about what Conan just told him as two of the officers escorted him inside the building. Did he really want to help? Or was it just to earn their trust?

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Welcome to your new lab!"**_

 _ **"Why don't we have a double date?!"**_

 _ **"Promise you won't kill me if I tell you?"**_

 _ **"Okaa-san is finally moving back!"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 37: DOUBLE DATES EVERYWHERE!**_

* * *

 _ **Okay, based on the teasers, the next chapter is obviously gonna be romantic. I'm still not the best in writing romantic moments, but I'll do what I can. If you think Gin is kinda OOC here, deal with it. It's all for the plot and I already told you all about this in the summary. The problems I've been dealing with readers regarding MOTH are now been solved, but is now replaced with demands of TNG! Again, I repeat that MOTH and TNG will be coming out next after I finish IABH. Neither of them will be worked on while this fanfic is still in progress. Getting to the Truth arc means that this fanfic is nearly ending, so REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Again, thanks for the continued support and please read and review. Happy birthday to me and to all my American readers out there, happy Thanksgiving! Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	37. Double Dates Everywhere!

_**It's been a while since Conan and Ai had their first date! 24 chapters to be exact it you all include this! That's a long way! While I was planning all of the chapters, it would certainly decrease the romance level of this fanfic if the only pure romance chapters were 'The First Date' and 'Valentines' Week'. So I decided to add one more to make it more sweet and romantic! But never fear, my dear readers! After this, MOTH will surely have more romantic CoAi scenes than this, because that is the sole purpose of the prequel. It sure was fun writing this chapter, but I had a hard time thinking of scenes that I needed to put myself in the shoes of the characters! But if it didn't live up to your expectations, then I'm sorry. To answer questions that some readers have been messaging me, yes, Gin will stay as a good guy until the end and up to TNG. And a little spoiler about him! He'll be more of an average uncle or godfather that you could imagine when TNG gets underway. About Vermouth being a good guy or not, it'll be revealed in Chapter 40. There was also another question regarding the arcs of IABH. He asked if I'll also have arcs in TNG. Well, there's only one thing I can say about that. Since TNG will be having at least 30 chapters, story arcs are a possibility. And one more thing. It was made clear in their first date that Conan and Ai won't be changing back into their original forms. They'll stay as kids and grow up normally. Here we are now on the 5th chapter for the month of November, tying October's record for most number of chapters published. Please feel free to give your feedback on this chapter through a review… Love it? Hate it? I don't care. Having a review is way better. (Lessen the flames, please?)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: There are so many chapters here with this..**_.

* * *

Conan looked at the sky and yawned. He was getting sleepy, but it was scorching hot. He looked at the time on his watch and it was 12:48. Then he came up with a plan to visit Ai and Kazuko in his house. After all, he needed to show her the new laboratory she will work in. It only took him a few minutes get there, but when he knocked on the door, nobody opened, causing the boy to raise an eyebrow.

He knocked again, this time, it was louder. But nobody answered as well. Dark thoughts started to cloud his mind. 'No,' he thought to himself. 'No, it can't be! They can't be gone! I won't allow it!' He started banging on the door, hoping that anyone inside was just sleeping. "Ai?!" he called out. "Kazuko-chan?! Subaru-san?! Please answer me if you can hear me?!" Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke behind him.

"What are you doing?" Conan turned around and saw Ai flashing her poker face at him. Beside her was Kazuko, who had an eyebrow raised. And Subaru was also with them. What the three had in common was that they were all holding paper bags, at least two in each hand. "I ask you again, Conan. What are you doing?"

The boy then began to shift his gaze back and forth towards them and the house. They weren't inside? Then where were they? "Huh?" he said. "You're not kidnapped or anything?" The boy's eyebrows furrowed together. Silence took over for a few seconds, before Kazuko dropped the two bags that she was holding and started to laugh rather loudly. Subaru and Ai kept a blank face as they stared at her but Conan was confused as hell.

Half a minute later, the girl stopped laughing. When she saw Conan about to open his mouth to say something, she cut him off with her hand outstretched as she stood up. "Sorry, Conan-kun," she spoke. "It was just so funny that you really thought that we were in danger!"

A tick mark appeared on the boy's head. "It's not my fault! You're the ones who went shopping without any —" before he could speak any further, Ai smacked him in the head, flashing her signature smirk. Even Subaru tried to suppress a chuckle at seeing the detective boy in that state.

"That's enough bullying, Edogawa-kun. Be a gentleman and help us with all the grocery bags." Conan brushed some dust off his shirt and scoffed, causing Ai to give him her signature glare, making him shrink in fear. He took two bags from the four that Subaru was carrying while Ai unlocked the door.

As soon as they got inside, Subaru headed for the kitchen, while Ai and Kazuko crashed on the couch. The boy figured that this would now be the perfect opportunity to tell Ai about some good news. While she was reading some magazines that were on the table in front of them, he cleared his throat, earning the two girls' attention. Ai glared at him. "This better be important," she growled, nearly causing Conan to scream out of fear.

"Okay, first off... Why were you out shopping with Kazuko-chan and Subaru-san?"

Ai snuck a glance behind her to see if Subaru was there. "Have you forgotten what happened yesterday, Shinichi?" The pieces started to fit in Conan's mind as Ai crossed her arms. "In case it didn't get through your detective brain, we left the house to buy new clothes and groceries."

Conan scoffed. "You could've let me come with you, you know. You made me worried as hell when nobody answered the knocking on the door."

She smirked. "Ara? And here I thought that the famous detective Kudo Shinichi was fearless when it came to cases… but when it comes to his personal life, he'll break down…" Kazuko stifled a laugh that was threatening to blurt out any second.

"It's not funny to make someone worried," he grumbled, looking away. "I could've helped you as well..."

"If we let you come with us, you would've surely took advantage of Kazuko-chan's expenses, which I definitely won't allow." Conan didn't respond, he just kept his gaze away from the beauty that was in front of him. "Aw, calm down, I was just kidding." Conan tried his best to keep his stern look, but eventually gave out when he looked at her again. She smiled warmly at him, making him feel that his heart was swelling. "So do you have anything else that you want to talk about? I want to go back to reading."

"Oh, that's right! Could you come with me? I need to show you something." Ai's eyes slowly widened, causing Conan to press on with the matter. "It's really important that you come along, and you need to know about it because it will help you in creating the antidote." This time, it was Ai who looked away. Of course, it would be about the antidote. The same antidote that she lost all progress on. The only thing left from her work was the data that Conan provided her with, which she always brought with her even in school to be extra safe.

"In case you didn't know, I lost all progress regarding it," she mumbled. "I don't even know if I can make one now because the lab was —" all of a sudden, Conan grabbed her hand, causing her to gasp at his touch.

He pulled her up and led her to the door. "I don't care, let's go!" Her eyes widened and she blushed at his actions.

"W-wait, what about —"

"Don't worry about Kazuko-chan, she can just help Subaru-san arrange the groceries." Ai looked behind her, and Kazuko gave her a thumbs-up, causing the scientist to be fuming with embarrassment.

The boy led her to the police station. While they were running towards there, she couldn't keep her emotionless mask on and gave in to her lover's antics. Normally, if he would've done something like this, she would've pushed him away and ask what was going on with him, but she decided to let it slide just for this time because she was too lost in his touch. But by the time that they got there, the flustered face of hers was replaced with a frown as she pulled on his ear. "Did you bring me here so that I could help you on one of your cases?!" she said, ignoring Conan's cries of pain. "And you really had to disturb me from reading my magazines?!"

"I-it's not like that!" he countered. "You need to hear me out, please!"

"Brace yourself, tantei-san." Just when she was about to smack him on the head, a familiar voice stopped her.

"Kudo-kun! I knew you would stop by today!" Their heads turned to whoever spoke, and it was Megure-keibu smiling warmly at them. Ai immediately let go of Conan's ear and took a step back. Of course, he told her yesterday that all of the police in Beika now knew who he was. And since that happened, she figured that it was only a matter of time before her real identity would be exposed too. "Oh, I see you've brought Ai-kun as well!" The scientist widened her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Come in so that she can see it!"

'Huh?' she mentally asked herself. 'What the hell is going on?' She was clearly confused with what was happening right now that she just let Conan grab her hand and lead her inside the building.

They went up to the third floor, but on the way there, a quick confrontation happened at the second level. Just when they were about to get to the third flight of stairs, they passed the room where Gin's cell was in. Out of all the chances, the door was open. When Ai caught the glimpse of him, her eyes widened a bit and her eyebrows furrowed and just looked away to prevent any possible eye contact between them. Unfortunately for her, Gin also caught a glance at her, albeit barely. The last thing he saw that passed by the room had auburn hair and he raised an eyebrow. 'It looks like that gaki was right about her,' he thought as he leaned on the wall.

They went down the hallway to the left room nearest to the big window that had a view of what was outside. Megure opened the door and Ai was left absolutely speechless at what was inside, leaving Conan smirking at her reaction.

It was a laboratory. How? The first thing was that nearly everything was white inside. Ai began to stroll around, not caring about what Megure would say to her, she was a scientist herself, after all. There were two rows of drawers at the left side that are used for the storage of test tubes, and from the looks of it, it had a massive stock. Ai bit her lip to prevent a smile, she wondered how would she progress if she had that much supply of equipment. On the right side of the room, there were cages of rats, a snake, and a few parrots. She wondered what would it be like if rats were not the only test subjects she had. She saw at the far end of the room two big closets. The inside could be shown and it had various laboratory equipment. But what really shocked her was the center of the whole place.

It was a computer. Not different from her old one back at Hakase's but it looked more advanced. There was also a study table beside it, and she began to imagine what it'd be like if she used it. She then saw something on the top part of the monitor, and she leaned in closer for a better look. Her eyes widened with tears beginning to form in her eyes.

 _Shiho Miyano_

That was what was imprinted on the monitor. 'Is this supposed to be for me? How could this be?' she asked herself. Hearing footsteps getting louder behind her, she turned around to see Megure-keibu warmly smiling at her.

"Welcome to your new lab! You don't need to hide yourself anymore, Shiho-kun," he spoke. Hearing her real name from somebody except Conan, she flinched in fear that her real identity was now exposed. "We won't tell anyone about who you really are, so you don't need to be afraid." The scientist felt a tidal wave of relief hit her at his words. "We heard about you losing your progress on the antidote for your drug, so we decided to help you."

"Y-you h-had this r-room j-just for me?" she stuttered, not used to somebody knowing her secret yet.

The inspector scratched his hat and chuckled. "W-well, it was Kudo-kun who told us everything and that he wanted to help you since you were blaming yourself for Agasa-san's disappearance and for what happened to your home." Hearing this made Ai's heart swell up in joy. Tears began flowing through the sides of her face as she looked at Conan, who was grinning at her. She stepped forward and let herself melt in his embrace. Her tears flowed down to his neck and into his clothes, but he didn't care. He just wanted to feel her in his arms. He saw Megure taking a few steps back to let the couple savor their moment, causing him to smirk.

"Arigato, Shinichi…" she spoke after trying her best to stop crying, to no avail. "I love you so much, you idiot! You've done… so much... for me… I don't know… I could ever repay you…"

"Aw, stop acting like that!" Her face then left his neck and she's now staring into his electrifying cobalt eyes and smiled. How he loved her smile, he would give anything just to see her happy face. "Barou…" He brushed a strand of her hair that was in her face. "That look doesn't suit you." Ai couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. "You don't need to do anything for me, okay? I love you and that's what matters. But if you want to, how about we go on a date?"

A huge smile was formed on her face as she kissed his nose. It had been some time since they last went on a date, and it made her happy to hear him asking if she wants to go out. "You're on," she replied with a wink. She turned her attention back to Megure. "You know who I really am?"

"Yeah, Kudo-kun told me everything." She snuck a glance at her lover, who only smiled. "Anyway, you won't be alone in here while you're making the cure for your drug." The girl raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Our own scientists here plus a few more we had asked from the universities would he helping you. That way, the cure could be finished in no time." Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth to prevent a gasp from coming out.

"When do you want me to start?" she asked excitedly. Back then, she never wanted to work for the cure, mainly because that would mean losing her beloved Conan for the rest of her life, and also because her old lab was never really the ideal place she could work on, anyway. Even Conan raised an eyebrow in confusion. Never before had he seen her excited to work on the antidote.

"You could start anytime you want. But if you want it to be over as soon as possible, then come back here the day after tomorrow. You have a date to attend to, anyway, Shiho-kun." Both teens blushed fifty shades of red as they shook their heads to hide their embarrassment.

"Arigato, keibu. But could you please not call me that when we talk in public? It's because —"

"Yes, I know. That you were once a member of the Black Organization. You don't have to worry about it, you won't get in trouble because we'll keep your secret hidden with us. Now go out there and have fun, you two lovebirds!" The two looked at each other before nodding.

"HAI!" they answered with a salute of their own, completely catching the inspector off guard, and causing him to laugh as they left.

The girl didn't let go of Conan's hand as they left the station. She was too overwhelmed with so much happiness today that she decided to drop her emotionless act for the day and just let out her real feelings. As soon as Conan knocked on his house's door, Kazuko was the one who opened it. Seeing them holding hands, she squealed. "OH MY GOD, HOW SWEET! YOU TWO ARE HOLDING HANDS!" Ai and Conan just chuckled and went inside. They saw Ryuuichi sitting on the couch, who simply nodded at the two. "So where have you been?" Kazuko pressed on.

After Conan told the two about the new laboratory would be working on, Kazuko couldn't stop herself from hugging Ai in happiness. "I told you everything will be alright!" said Kazuko. Ai smiled warmly at her friend. "So what do you have in mind now?"

"Me and Mr. Death Magnet are going on a date tomorrow." Just when Conan was about to argue with her that he wasn't a death magnet, Ai smacked him in the head, causing Ryuuichi to snicker.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Silence took over for a few seconds before Kazuko spoke again. "I know! Why don't we have a double date?! Ryuuichi-kun and I are going on a date tomorrow too! So what do you say, Ai-chan?" Hearing the words, 'double date' make the prodigy stand up from his seat and walk over to Kazuko. But before he could do anything, he was smacked in the head by his girlfriend, making Conan snicker in retaliation. The prodigy just scoffed and looked away.

"Oh, I'd love that!" the scientist replied. Conan and Ryuuichi's jaws hit the floor, they never expected Ai to accept to an extremely embarrasing event.

'They're doing those this on purpose,' they snarled in their minds at the same time.

Kazuko turned to the two boys. "Then we'll meet you tomorrow, don't be late boys, otherwise you'll face the conseqeunces."

'What is with her?' Conan and Ryuuichi thought at the same time.

 **Tomorrow…**

The two boys stood outside of the Kudo mansion and crossed their arms. They had the same thought in their minds. Why do girls take so much time in dressing up? Kazuko and Ai promised that they would be out of the house in five minutes, yet here they were, fifteen minutes later, but the two girls still weren't done. "Want to cool down inside?" Conan asked. Ryuuichi didn't hesitate, the heat was killing him out there.

Conan wore a blue long-sleeved shirt while Ryuuichi donned his favorite green hoodie. As they sat on ths couch, the prodigy reached into his pocket, and brought out a magnifying glass. Conan's magnifying glass. Conan's eyes widened, making the prodigy snicker. "As I have promised," he spoke, laying down the gadget on the table. "You can now further investigate strange objects at a crime scene. Just tell me if it doesn't work properly, because I don't know if it will do what it does."

"Arigato," replied Conan. Ryuuichi only shrugged to answer.

"What are you two talking about?" spoke a voice. The two boys turned to see who it was, only to see Ai and Kazuko. The scientist was wearing a magenta-colored polo paired with yellow leggings, while Kazuko had put on a sparkling white t-shirt and shorts that reached her thighs. Conan and Ryuuichi just stared at them with their mouths wide open, in total awe of their beauty, which got them to receive a smack on their heads each.

"Stop staring, you perverts," snarled Kazuko with her fists still clenched. Ai smirked at Conan teasingly. "It's embarrassing, got it?" she finished with a low growl.

"H-hai…" answered the two boys in unison.

 **Three hours later…**

The four first went to the cinema for a new movie that was just released recently. Conan and Ryuuichi wanted to sit separately with their respective dates, but Kazuko refused, while Ai just kept quiet. The two boys really didn't want a double date to happen, since it would take away the romance and sweetness between two people. But they all knew how Kazuko acts when she gets angry, so they just let her.

After the movie ended, they went to Tropical Land thanks to Conan as he stated that that was one of the places where him and Ai had went during their first date. When they were going to go inside the haunted house, the two boys agreed with each other that one couple will enter first so that they can finally be separated, but it wasn't their lucky day.

Kazuko and Ryuuichi entered first because the prodigy told Conan that he'd lure Kazuko away from the exit. Conan and Ai immediate entered and in less than five minutes, they were able to get out. But just as he was about to celebrate for finally losing Kazuko, she showed up in front of him, asking what took them so long. Ryuuichi was beside her with a lump on his head, and the scientist had to stifle a laugh at the two boy's efforts.

Conan managed to act innocent as they went to their next ride. When the detective asked Ryuuichi what happened inside, he answered that Kazuko knocked him out and found the exit herself, causing Conan to sweat-drop at his friend's reason.

The ferris wheel was their next ride. To both Conan and Ryuuichi's surprise and relief, Kazuko suggested that they go by pairs. The two boys didn't hesitate to agree. But during the whole ride, Kazuko and Ai slept on them, much to the two boy's annoyance and disappointment, causing them to think that they might have planned it in the first place.

They are now having lunch at a food truck near the 'Flying Phantoms' ride. Conan ordered a cup of noodles, Ryuuichi went for some chocolate waffles, Kazuko wanted sushi, and Ai just settled on a hotdog sandwich with a small bucket of fries. The four talked about many things regarding their real childhood days, starting from Ryuuichi telling them all about how his incredible knowledge in technology first sparked; to Kazuko sharing more of her dark past with her mother and father; to Conan reminiscing back to the past times that he tried acting as a detective; and to Ai remembering her happy days with her beloved sister. The two boys had to admit that it was now finally peaceful, but there was only one way to be sure.

They looked at each other and nodded. Conan grabbed Ai's hand and led her away, causing her to shiver lightly at his touch. Kazuko tried to chase after them, but passed out immediately after Ryuuichi planted a soft kiss on her neck.

Ai looked at her lover as they ran away from the amusement park. He had that trademark grin flashed on his face which always complemented his cobalt eyes. Conan looked at her for a moment, but didn't stop running. "Don't worry," he spoke. "We'll have the rest of the day all to ourselves! Just keep on running!" The scientist smiled warmly as she focused on the road they were running on, feeling determined at his words.

After looking back a few times to make sure that they lost their two friends, the couple finally stopped at a bench they just saw. Conan sat down and panted, exhausted from running. Ai couldn't help but giggle at how he acted, but she also thought of how sweet he was to spend the rest of the day all by themselves. She first wiped the sweat off of her with a handkerchief before crossing her arms and smirked at her boyfriend. "You got what you wanted, tantei-san," she spoke. "What do you want to do now?"

Conan drank the remaining water from the bottle that he bought earlier to compose himself before speaking up. "How about staying quiet for five minutes?" he replied with a smirk of his own.

The girl chuckled and shook her head. "You never change, Shinichi." She sat down beside him and looked at the sky above. An image of Akemi then flashed by the clouds, causing her to widen her eyes. 'Onee-chan,' she thought. 'If you were here, I'd —' her thoughts were cut off momentarily when she felt Conan tapping her left shoulder. She threw him a glare, causing him to raise both of his hands in defeat. "What could be so important that you have to cut me from my thoughts?" she grumbled.

"I-I just remembered that I need to show you something. But first we need to stop by a flower shop." She raised an eyebrow in confusion, but nodded in response.

After Conan bought a bouquet of tulips from the nearest shop, they were walking down a pathway that Ai seemed to have never gone to. "Shinichi, where are we going?" Conan stopped in his tracks and stared into her eyes.

"Promise you won't kill me if I tell you?" She nodded without any hesitation. "You'll have to wait and see what it is," he said with a smirk before continuing on. Ai noticed something different from his smirk. Being a master of her own emotions made her realize that his usual tone of triumph or arrogance wasn't with his voice earlier. She deduced that something was wrong and decided to ask him about it later.

They finally reached their destination with the scientist crossing her arms and sighed. They were in a cemetery. "So this is what the flowers are for. You could've told me about this place, I wouldn't have refused accompanying you for a loved one you lost." She shut her mouth when she saw Conan throwing her his serious face. He walked over to her and gave her the bouquet of flowers. "What is —" before she could finish her question, Conan stepped to the side and her eyes widened with what was in front of her. "T-this is…"

A tombstone was planted there, with a long piece of paper wrapped around it, covering the name of the dead person underneath it. There was a vase at the base of it, with a picture frame of one the most important person to the scientist.

It was Akemi's grave.

She instantly looked at Conan in confusion. She was about to ask why was her sister here when he spoke first. "If you're wondering why Akemi-san is here, it was last week. I was asking one of the guys overseer of this place if there was a Hirota Masami buried here." Her eyes widened. The name 'Hirota Masami' was the name that Akemi used before she died. "It was a really good thing that there was a person named like that, but I had to make sure that it was really your sister. And it was a good thing that the grave you're staring at had the same date when she died. Then I replaced the 'Hirota Masami' name there with Akemi-san's name. I prepared her picture this morning. I found it in your bedroom yesterday, and I'm sorry about invading your own place." Tears began welling up in the scientist's eyes as her heart was filled with joy. She went closer to him for a hug and possibly a kiss, but he took a step back before she could.

"You should talk to your sister first," Conan replied as he turned away. "I'm just going to wait for you." Although she was a little disappointed that Conan brushed her off, she felt that his words were right. With that, she knelt down on the ground and placed the tulips in the vase. She stared at Akemi's photo, and the scientist couldn't help but let out a few tears. "It's been a long time, Onee-chan," she spoke. "I never expected Shinichi would be be able to find you here. Remember when I told you about him?" She looked at the sky and forced a smile on her face. "It was 9 months ago, when I realized I was in love with him back at when he first saved me from them. Guess what?" She looked back at the frame. "We are now together, I never expected all of this would happen. If this was all a dream, I never want to wake up, onee-chan. Because after you were gone," she was full-on crying now after that last word she spoke. "Shinichi was there to comfort and watch my back. Even if I try to hide what I truly feel, he is the only one whom I can show my true self to, besides you. He always thought of me first, even more than his own safety. He made me feel that I had a place in this world, and that I wasn't alone. He was still there even if I was a part of the organization. Back then, I always thought that love will never have happy endings, because there will always be problems that will try to drive a couple apart and because love can be unrequited at times. But Shinichi may have proved me wrong." Hearing her last statement made Conan turn around.

The boy wanted to wrap his arms around her and stop her tears, he really did, but she needed this in order to help her move on from Akemi's passing. Because truth be told, nightmares of her late sister still haunted the scientist. Instead, he just stood there and waited for the perfect time to show his embrace.

Ai couldn't keep it together as her hands clutched the grass below her and her crying became worse. "I just want to tell you that I miss you so much, Onee-chan! I can hide what I feel from other people but I can't when I see you! You were always there for me even after our parents died. Just… like how… Shinichi is there for me… when you... died," her words aren't clear now because of her sniffles, and Conan decided that this was the perfect time to make his move.

He knelt down beside her, and wrapped his left arm around her shoulder. Without any further word, her head crashed to his chest. The boy laid his head on top of hers, and he didn't care that his shirt would be ruined because of her tears. He stared at the grave and began to drift away to his own thoughts. 'I'll always be there, Shiho, Akemi-san. I promise…'

 **An hour later…**

Ai stepped inside of the gate but Conan remained outside and simply stared at her. Realizing that the man she loves the most is no longer by her side, she turned back to see him smiling warmly at her. "You're not coming inside?" she asked in a concerned tone. Ever since visiting her sister's grave for the very first time, she decided to drop her emotionless act for the rest of the day, just for Akemi.

Conan shook his head. "Nah, I need to be getting back, anyway," he replied. "But I need to ask you something, first." The girl went back to the gate while Conan cleared his throat. "You're going to go to the station tomorrow?"

"Yes, I need to get started on the antidote again. But to make sure you don't get worried and come barging in while I am concentrating, I only plan on working for 5 hours everyday. After all, I have all the help that I need now." Conan scratched his head in embarrassment, knowing she was right. If he did figure out that she was overexerting herself again, he would definitely show up. Ai giggled at her lover's attitude, before looking at the picture frame of her sister that was in the cemetery earlier. "Do you…" She blushed a bit. "Mind if I…" For some reason, she was being shy to ask him if they could visit Akemi again, much because she knows that Conan's a busy guy.

"Mind if I what?" he asked, curious about her sudden shyness.

"Do you mind if we visit Onee-chan next week? And make it a weekly thing? Now that I know she has a grave I can see her anytime I want." Conan's eyebrows raced upward. "I mean, i-it's all right if you don't want to, you can just tell me how to get there…"

"Barou!" he complained. "Do you really need to ask that? Of course I'll go with you! About making it weekly, I don't see any reason on why not." He flashed a grin, which was a sight that the scientist loved very much. So she opened the gate and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, before heading back to the front door. She looked at him one more time. "Tell Kazuko-chan and Ryuuichi that we're sorry, okay?" he spoke loud enough for her to hear.

Now it was her turn to grin before heading inside.

Conan went back to the agency and immediatey crashed on the couch. He had been really tired today, aside from the fact that it was really hot this afternoon, being on a double date with his other friends has worn him out. He tried to close his eyes in an attempt to sleep early, but was interrupted with Ran's smiling face just above him.

He was startled and immediately sat up in fear, causing Ran to giggle at how funny Conan was. "So how was your date with Ai-chan?"

Conan's face blushed red like a tomato. "Eh?!" he cried. "How did you know, Ran-neechan?!"

"Well me and Eisuke saw you two earlier with Kazuko-chan and her date… Ryuuichi-kun, was it?"

Conan raised an eyebrow. "You were out with Eisuke-neechan?"

"Yeah, we were on a double date with Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan! It was so fun being with them!" She suddenly remembered something. "Oh, that's right! Gomen, Conan-kun. The two lovebirds from Osaka went home earlier and you can't say hello to them now."

But Conan had something else on his mind. He wasn't thinking about Heiji nor Eisuke. He was thinking about today's weird events. 'So Ran saw me and Ai going on a double date with Kazuko-chan and Ryuuichi,' he thought. 'Because she was with Eisuke, Hattori, and Kazuha-chan on a double date too. Weird, but kind of cool.'

"Conan-kun! Look at this!" Ran showed the boy her phone, and it was showing a picture of Kaito, Saguru, Aoko, and Akako altogether. The boy looked up at her with a look of confusion. "Kuroba-kun sent me this! He told me that him and Akako-chan went on a double date with Hakuba-kun and Aoko-chan!"

Conan sweat-dropped slightly. 'Am I going crazy? What the hell is going on? Everybody's going on double dates! Is anyone out there with a brick? I need someone to hit my head right now... It's not a surprise if any second now, Sonoko will text her that she went on a double date too. I wonder who she'll —' the boy was cut off from his thoughts when Ran suddenly hugged him before spinning around like a little girl while squealing happily. When she finally put him down on the couch, the detective clutched his forehead to try and shrug off his dizziness. When his vision became clear again, he saw Ran shedding tears. Not wanting to see his best friend cry, he needed to act quickly. "Ran-neechan, why are you crying?"

The girl sniffled and wiped her eyes. "These are what you call tears of joy, Conan-kun." The boy's eyebrows went upwards. "I'm not sad, I'm actually happy." Conan raised an eyebrow, confused with where his friend was going to.

"Okaa-san is finally moving back!"

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Pack your things, Conan-kun!"**_

 _ **"Mouri-san would never commit a murder!"**_

 _ **"I never expected that we'll meet again, Sherry…"**_

 _ **"I'm coming home…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 38: DRUNKEN REUNION**_

* * *

 _ **Akemi's final resting place is now introduced and Ai now has a brand new laboratory courtesy of Megure-keibu! I apologize for not having too much romance in this chapter, knowing that I skipped the juicy parts, but look at their last moments here! They are full of emotions and it's romance anyway you like it. Regarding the next chapter, there are two things you need to know. One is that Eri will finally be going home to the agency with Ran and Kogoro! Ain't that a relief? And second, I have a challenge for my readers, by the way. The next chapter's title (see above) has a double meaning on both words. I bet that you can figure out one of them but you can't figure out the other! If you want to prove me wrong, leave a review with your answer in it. Let's see who has the right answers in the next chapter. Anyway, I have published a new fanfic both here and Wattpad! It's also a DC fic and of course, the pairing is ShinShi. "Nothing has Changed" is the title, and it's an AU fanfic. It'll be a one-shot only, because I am sincerely focused on the 'New Direction' trilogy (That's the name I'm giving on my three main fics combined, which basically means that Conan had a new direction in life by falling in love with Ai). The idea about this one-shot just popped into my mind, and I figured that I could write it to get it out of my head because it's starting to ruin the ideas I have for IABH. Be warned that the events there are kinda rushed and almost all characters are OOC. I hope you like it, seeing how you liked IABH. Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	38. Drunken Reunion

_**We are now on the SIXTH chapter of the month! I have now achieved a new record! But here's what's more important. I'm going to be simply clear about it. The 'Drunken Reunion' title is very simple to understand, but some just made it more complicated. What's more, I was just asking for the concept, not an entire scenario! LOL. Well, I guess that's my fault since I wasn't more specific with what I was asking last chapter. The first meaning behind it is Kogoro and Eri will finally be back together in this chapter! And since Kogoro is a heavy drinker, he's obviously getting drunk here and maybe Eri too if you read on! Now the second one is regarding Gin and Shiho. Congratulations, AixConanShipper, you got it. However, the scenario you came up with is so different from events here in this chapter! Since Gin and "Sherry" are both alcoholic drinks, and they're both codenames to the two characters and they're meeting again, you can fully relate the two's meeting here to the title.**_

 _ **Twelve chapters remain after publishing this one. And it's not even a year yet! I can't believe that I actually wrote a fanfic as long as this one, surpassing 200k words. Also, I have an announcement to make for my dear readers. You should all rejoice! Because after this trilogy is finished, that won't be the end of my universe! I have five filler fanfics planned to be working on afterwards! Here they are!**_

 _ **-Conan and Ai's honeymoon in London (M-rated, you horny dogs finally get your lemon-y wish, and will end with Ai giving birth to their first child, probably only a few chapters cause I'm not good with lemons)**_

 _ **-Ran's pursuit of happiness [starting from Eisuke's return to Japan and will end with their wedding here in IABH (see Chapter 45)]**_

 _ **-Akako's path to redeeming herself (will tell how she stopped using her powers and being a witch, to her love story with Kaito, and being a doctor)**_

 _ **-Aoko and Hakuba's love story [starting from when she agreed to a date that he proposed (see Chapter 33), to their happy life as parents]**_

 _ **-Ryuuichi and Kazuko's first date (will be a oneshot only, since nobody cares that much about OCs, anyway, unless all of you want to make it longer)**_

 _ **How's that? All of those fics will be connected to the main trilogy, but four out of the five above will be about other ships. That way, I will be completing all the other fanfics I want to write about DC without using different universes! And who knows? Maybe I will add more fillers to add to the series! I really feel like an author right now, guys! If you have the time, write a review regarding your opinion on those fillers. Like them? Hate them? Just tell it. The reasons I am adding fillers to the New Direction trilogy because this plan of mine will achieve my ultimate dream in CoAi fandom. One is to fulfil all the ships I support, two is to interconnect a bunch of stories to form one big universe, and three is to entertain my readers. Maybe next chapter, I'll be coming up with each of their titles! Stay tuned! Feel free to share this fanfic to anyone! I guess that's enough spoilers for now so let's get on with this chapter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Everything I said will be true if I did own DC…**_

* * *

'Coming back?' Conan thought as he stared at the teenage girl in front of him. 'What does that mean?' "What is it about Eri-sensei, Ran-neechan?" the boy asked.

Ran pouted. "Mou, weren't you listening, Conan-kun?" she replied. "Here, look at this message she sent me!" Conan started to read it which left him wondering about what would he do in his current situation.

 _How are you doing, Ran? I hope your good-for-nothing father has been taking care of you and Conan-kun well! Now that I think of it, I think this is the right time for me to go back. You heard me right, sweetie. I'll be living with you and the drunk detective that I love the most. But this reunion won't be called one unless we celebrate it! Tell your father to take you all to Izu Beach and all of us will be spending one night there. I've also invited a few of our former classmates and colleagues during our school days to join with us. I'm now on my way to the resort, I expect you three to be there tomorrow morning. I love you and see you soon._

Conan finished reading and stared into Ran's happy face. 'So Ran's mom is going to live here again? If that's the case, then I should leave. I can't stay here anymore. Occhan and Ran have already done so much for me. I can't be a burden to them any longer.' "Have you showed that yet to Kogoro-ojisan?" The girl then stroked her chin.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't told oto-san about this yet." One of the bedrooms suddenly opened, which caused the two to be startled for a bit, only to realize that Mouri was just rubbing his eyes as he stepped out.

"Oi, what are you two talking about?" he mumbled followed by a huge yawn. "I'm trying to sleep here…" He rubbed his eyes again, but when he opened them, Ran was showing her phone to him. He immediately read what was texted to her, and his eyes twinkled with joy. He grabbed the phone and began to read it over and over again until he screams triumphantly. Conan and Ran flashed him a look of confusion at his sudden attitude before Kogoro took off like a man with a jetpack from an anime show. "YATTA! PACK UP, EVERYONE! WE HAVE A TRIP TOMORROW!" The two sweat-dropped slightly afterwards.

While Kogoro kept on laughing maniacally because of Eri's message, Ran knelt down to Conan's height. "Pack your things, Conan-kun!" she said with a smile. "Our family will finally be complete after so many years!" Conan faked a smile, as he was both happy and saddened because of what was happening right now. Sure, he's happy because his childhood friend/first best friend will be happy that her family is united once more. But on the other hand, he had come to treat the agency as if it was his real home for the months that have passed. He loved Ran's cooking, and he liked it whenever Kogoro has a client that needs help for a case. Of course he'd be sad for that. But it wasn't his real house to begin with. After all, he is still Kudo Shinichi, and he has his own home. Still, despite all this, Conan couldn't help but be happy for one of the most important people in his life.

 **Tomorrow…**

Kogoro rented a car and the three were now on their way towards Izu resort. While Ran and her father looked very happy as the seconds flew by, the girl noticed that Conan had been staring at the window for some time now, with a troubled look on his face. She first suspected that it must be because of Ai much because she knew of the almost inseparable relationship that they have even if they were still young, but they have mature minds that greatly differs them from other children. She also knew that Conan was spending more time with Ai than her and her father. With that, she planned to lend her phone for him to talk to his girlfriend. "Here, Conan-kun!" she called out, and he turned to her. "You can call Ai-chan with my phone! You miss her, right?"

The boy couldn't help but chuckle as he stared back outside the window. "Ran-neechan, it's less than a day since we were last together and I miss her already?" he replied. "It's not about her."

"Then why do look so down?"

"It's about Eri-sensei, Ran-neechan." Her eyebrow rose, wondering how her mother was involved. "When she moves back with you, where am I supposed to go? I don't want to be a burden to you and oji-san anymore."

Ran frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Don't you ever say that you're a burden to us! You've been like a real little brother to me and I can't forget that! You also help otou-san with many of his cases, and even if okaa-san is coming back, you're still welcome in the family, okay?"

Conan faked a smile and turned to her. "Hai!" he exclaimed, making Ran smile warmly at him. But when he stared out the window again, his mind drifted to the same thought. 'Thanks for the offer, Ran,' he thought. 'But I can't. I can't risk your happiness, which is your happy family, while the war with the BO is still raging on. You are now happy with your life right now, and I don't want to ruin it by staying with you. If even one of the members know my relationship with you, I won't be able to forgive myself. Perhaps when this is all over, I'll move back in with you, Kogoro oji-san, and Eri no oba-san. You've been like a real family to me, and I am truly grateful for that.

 **Meanwhile…**

Ai sat patiently on the passenger seat of the police car that she was in as she checked the time on her watch. It was 10:43 in the morning and she began to imagine what would it be like to work in a real laboratory. Her old lab in the organization had limited resources and equipment much because most of their finances go to transactions and other important things. While her lab at Hakase's home was peaceful enough for her to work on, her equipment was still limited. And this is the first time that she'll get to experience a 'real' one in the eyes of a scientist. She told Kazuko to inform Kobayashi-sensei that she won't be attending school for a few weeks because of a terrible illness, and after that, a police escort was waiting outside of the Kudo mansion, which she responded to by putting on her lab coat and getting in the car.

A few minutes later, she finds herself climbing up to the second floor and passing by Gin's room which had the door wide open, and causing her to stop walking. What was she thinking? She should get to the lab immediately; but it's as if she was frozen in her place outside the room. She hesitated at first to peek at his cell, knowing that's what the back of her mind wants her to do, even if she wouldn't be harmed by any means. However, her curiousity gets the best of her as she quietly steps into the room.

Her worries vanished when she saw Gin leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. He could be either sleeping or he was just faking it. To be sure, the girl waved a hand in front of the cell, but no response came from the man inside. 'There was a time that I was afraid of you,' she spoke in her thoughts as she glared at the man inside. 'But now, I have people who care and support me whenever I am scared.' An image of her friends appeared in her mind and she smiled softly at the thought. She began to walk back outside when a sudden voice froze her in place.

"I never expected we would meet again, Sherry…" She shakingly turned her head to look at the cell as Gin raised his head to look at her. "That gaki was right, you've changed to a little gaki too." Ai looked at him in confusion.

"Did you come here to talk? Or did you miss me?" Ai tried to keep a poker face, but only barely. Her emotionless mask always had an effect on her friends, but not for Gin.

"Yes it is, Gin. You're right, it's been a while. I work at the laboratory here," she answered in a neutral tone. When she saw Gin about to speak again, she cut him off. "The door was open, I was about to close it when you woke up."

The man crossed his arms. "I hear that you're trying to make a cure for the toxin." The girl narrowed her eyes. "To think that you want to be back to your old self again… Don't you think it's dangerous for you to change back? There are still —"

"I don't need you to lecture or to look out for me, you're not my father," she replied in a sharp tone. "And I will not be changing back. The cure is for other victims of the drug that you and the BO abused…" she finished with a low snarl.

"Nice choice," he said as he closed his eyes and remained calm.

"I wasn't asking for your thoughts. If you don't mind, I need to get going." She smirked in victory. "I don't have time for little chit-chats with a criminal like you." The former member scoffed and looked away. The girl felt so proud of herself for being able to stand up to the man she possibly feared the most and she could tell Conan about this when she gets home. But she was stopped when Gin's voice filled the room again.

"I suggest you keep an eye on that four-eyed wimp that's living with you." Ai raised an eyebrow. "I am telling you this not because I care or I'm trying to scare you but because I have my own doubts." The girl narrowed her eyes at him, thinking that this is some sort of trick to make her scared. "I saw you with that man yesterday, and I can sense that something is up with him. I can tell that he's hiding something from you. You can choose not to take my advice since I was your enemy at one point, but don't underestimate my suspicions."

"What are you talking about and what does Okiya-san have to do with any of this?! And what gives you the authority to tell me this?! We are still enemies no matter how much you try to deny it!" she cried, getting irritated at Gin's attitude. It seems as if her emotionless mask can always win over Conan, but she cannot use it on Gin, as he will always find a way to get through her emotions.

"The thing is…" his voice was slightly louder than hers, causing her to shut up in fear. "I suspect him to be…"

 **At Izu resort… _(Izu is the resort/beach during the Night Baron Murder Case)_**

"Anata!" Eri called as she ran through the lobby towards Kogoro, Ran, and Conan. "There you are!" She looked at the two kids behind him. "Good thing you two came along as well, I was getting worried on what would happen if you two didn't come along." Conan and Ran flashed a grin, causing Eri to smile warmly. "Here are our room keys." She handed a bunch of keys to her husband, which all had the number '319' on them.

"You said that you invited other people as well, right?" asked Kogoro. Eri nodded. "Then where are they? Do we know them?"

The woman giggled and patted his shoulder. "Of course you know them. We both know them." She then pointed to three people who were at the counter and immediately Kogoro recognized them from their faces alone. The detective immediately ran towards them, followed by Ran and Conan, leaving a smirking Eri walking slowly towards them.

Hearing footsteps getting louder by the second, the three people turned to see who it was. "Oh, Mouri!" said the man who wore a red long-sleeved shirt. "Long time no see!"

"It's been a while since we last saw each other, Kogoro-kun," said the woman who was wearing a pink shirt with a jacket.

"Look who's here!" stated another man who donned a blue t-shirt. "It's the famous detective, Mouri Kogoro!"

Kogoro scratched his hair in embarrassment. "Well, it's been many years," he pointed to each of them respectively, "Hashimoto-san, Taniguchi-san, and Hirano-san." The woman then began to giggle slightly, causing Kogoro to raise an eyebrow.

"You're still the idiot that we knew in high school, Kogoro-kun!" The detective looked at her in confusion until Eri, who arrived beside him, pointed to the silver ring on the woman's ring finger. And could only mean one thing. She was married.

"Nami-chan is now married with Hirano-kun," the lawyer plainly stated, and Kogoro's eyes widened slowly.

"When did you two—?!" Kogoro was cut off by Hirano-san.

"Just a few months ago, Mouri. Eri-san attended but we forgot to invite you. Please forgive us for that."

"Oh, no need, Hirano! Congratulations to the both of you!" The five former classmates shared a laugh before Eri led her family all the way to their room at the third floor, wanting to spend time with them before the moon takes over everything. Conan, who kept a stern look all this time, began to think of his auburn-haired girlfriend and how she was doing right now.

'Is she okay?' he thought. 'Of course she is. I hope she's having fun in her new laboratory, because I miss her already. To be honest, I'd rather escape from this place to be with her. Well, I guess she could just wait tomorrow!' That was the boy's last thought before he went inside their room.

 **At Beika Metropolitan Police Station…**

"N-no…" the girl stuttered as she took a step back. "Th-that can't be true…" Her eyes were wide opened in shock and confusion. All of this can't be true, right? Maybe she was only hearing things. "Y-you must be lying! He hasn't shown himself ever since I escaped! He must be dead by now! Any one of you could have killed him!"

"We never knew. Like I said before, if you don't want to believe me, then don't," he finished with a small yawn. "It's up to you on whether to be careful or pretend that we never talked about this, Sherry." The girl raised an eyebrow as she witnessed Gin leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed.

Being curious and all, she stepped forward and stared at his figure. She was startled slightly when Gin's voice once again filled the room. "Any more questions you want to ask?" he grumbled. She just shook her head, not sure what to answer. "Then get lost, Sherry. I want to get some sleep." Ai sweat-dropped slightly while keeping her cool exterior.

Taking one more glance at him, she finally left and headed for the lab upstairs. She took a deep breath and entered the room. There were a total of five scientists inside, including her. She flashed a soft smile, ready to begin her work.

Hours have passed, yet she couldn't get it out of her mind. Even if she did try to think of other things that could lessen the thoughts about the former member's words, what Gin said had an impact on her that she even got distracted a couple of times while working on the cure. She was so confused and curious that time that she did not pay full attention on her task. When she finally had enough for four hours straight, she had no choice but to assign a few tasks for each of the scientists she was working with, because she wants to go home early and clear her mind. Megure-keibu didn't mind at all, but the girl still apologized for what happened and promised that she'd make it up the next day, feeling ashamed that such a thing happened to her. Now, on her way back home, her mind couldn't stop remembering what Gin said to her in his cell. 'I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'm gonna follow Gin's suspicions,' she thought to herself. 'That's the only way to be sure of it. After all, he was a very capable member of the organization.'

 **Meanwhile…**

While Eri and Kogoro were busy catching up with their old friends, Ran and Conan were at the beach, feeling that they shouldn't meddle with the older people. To the boy's surprise, Ran didn't swim the entire time. Instead, she just lied down on one of the chairs there and looked at the sky above with a smile on her face. Conan just thought that she was happy with her parents until she brought out a picture of him. A picture of Shinichi Kudo. The boy's widened as she stroked its surface and whispered a few things to it. Conan was completely confused. He thought that Ran has already moved on from him! That's when he decided to figure out what was going on. He ran towards the girl and Ran turned her head to the side to look at him. "What is it, Conan-kun?" she asked, noticing that he was panting and beads of sweat rolled down his face. "You look kind of in a rush."

"Ran-neechan, why do you have a picture of Shinichi-niichan?" the boy replied, trying to sound as innocent as possible, but in his current state, it sounded like he was demanding something from her.

"Oh, you mean this?" she showed him the photo, which showed him in his adult form, and it was taken during his trip to Tropical Land with her. The boy nodded. "I always bring this with me, Conan-kun!" His eyes widened. "Since Shinichi is always gone most of the time, having a picture of him is the only thing that can make me feel that he is still nearby."

'Wait, does this mean she still has feelings for me?!' the boy thought. 'That can't be!' He leaned in closer to her. "Does this mean you still like him, Ran-neechan?" And before he knew it, he was smacked in the head by the girl.

"What are you talking about, Conan-kun?!" she grumbled as she crossed her arms. "Mou, I can't believe you would think that! Haven't I already told you that I'm now going out with Eisuke?" She looked back at the sky, while Conan sighed in relief. "I'm happy with my life now and I know that Shinichi is too. I hope that he finds someone who'll make him feel complete and happy."

Conan smiled warmly as an image of Ai Haibara and Shiho Miyano appeared in his thoughts. 'Don't worry, Ran. I am happy right now. I thank you for everything.' "Gomen, Ran-neechan. I guess I forgot."

"What about you?" His eyes snapped open.

"Eh?"

"How are things going on between you and Ai-chan?" she teased as the boy blushed furiously.

"We're doing fine, Ran-neechan." Knowing that she'll interrogate him about all of what he and Ai did together, he quickly made up an excuse in his mind. He looked at his wristwatch. "Oh, Ran-neechan! I forgot something back at the hotel! I'm going to go get it!" He started to walk away when he felt someone hold his hand. 'Oh shoot.'

"Then let's go back there together!" exclaimed Ran as the two began to head back. "There are so many things I want to ask you!"

'I should've never asked her about Eisuke…' A person wearing a cap and sunglasses then caught his attention. He headed to the beach and knelt down on the sand, doing who-knows-what. Conan shrugged further thoughts about him when Ran began to tease him about Ai again.

 **5 hours later…**

Conan woke up inside their room, but he didn't know. The last thing he remembered was going with Ran to the rooftop of the hotel. He did a quick scan of the surroundings before realizing that he really was inside their hotel room. He looked at the time on his watch and it was 9:48 in the evening. All of a sudden, he felt his stomach grumble. Feeling hungry, he was about to kip up before he noticed Eri sleeping on the bed beside his. Not wanting to wake her up, he got off the bed quietly. Then the door opened, causing the boy to shudder a bit out of fear. He sighed in relief when he saw that it was just Ran. "Conan-kun?" she whispered loud enough for him to hear. "You're still up? I thought you were asleep."

The boy walked over to her slowly. "Ran-neechan, I'm hungry," he complained.

Ran massaged her temple and groaned quietly. "See? This is what you get for running too much. I warned you earlier not to run away from me, but you still did." She grabbed his hand and led him out.

'Oh! Now I remember!' he said in his thoughts. 'She wanted to roam the whole resort with me, but I refused because I wanted to call Hattori, Kaito, and Hakuba and see how they're doing.' He snuck a glance at his childhood friend and smirked. 'Well, at least I didn't waste time with Ran and just slept.' A piercing scream cut through his thoughts as the two turned their heads to wherever the noise came from.

They were currently at a hallway with the end going to the left and right. Conan, with his impressive hearing, went to the right hallway, being followed closely by Ran. Then they saw a maid sitting just outside an open room with her hands on her mouth as if she was trying to suppress her scream. They went closer and looked at what's inside the room.

Kogoro was sleeping next to Hirano-san, who had his eyes wide open and there was blood coming out from his chest. Ran couldn't contain herself from screaming, which caused other people to look out from their rooms. Finally, Eri, Hashimoto-san, and Hirano's wife, Nami Hirano, came. Shocked faces filled the room while Conan kept a stern look as he glared at the two people who were with Hirano. 'It's impossible for oji-san to kill somebody,' he thought. He stepped forward and checked the bed where Kogoro was sleeping. 'The sheets still look good which means he could not have committed suicide.' He glared at Hashimoto-san, who was frozen in his place out of shock, and then at Nami, who was all out crying on the floor at the death of her husband. 'Nobody else was with Hirano-san today except for them, occhan, and Eri no-obaasan.' He looked at Kogoro who was still sleeping soundly. 'One of them is trying to frame you, occhan. But don't worry. I'll make sure your day won't get ruined.'

 **Half an hour later…**

Inspector Sango Yokomizo led the police towards Izu resort. Apparently, it had been a few hours since Hirano-san passed away because of rigor mortis. The estimated time of death was between 3:30 and 4:00. Conan stared at the two possible suspects, Nami-san and Hashimoto-san. He knew to himself that Kogoro would never commit a murder, so he left him out of the suspect list. The inspector was now questioning for their alibis in a random hotel room at the second flood. "What were the both of you doing around 3:30 in the afternoon?" asked the inspector.

"I was in our room, checking on our things I was with my husband until I left to go to the beach," answered Nami-san.

"I went to check on our car at the parking lot," replied Hashimoto-san.

"Can anybody confirm your alibis?" Both of them shook their heads in unison. "I see. Then one of you must be the culprit who killed Hirano-san." This caused Nami-san to stand up and speak in a screeching voice.

"Why are you talking to us like we're the culprits?! Kogoro-kun was the one who was beside my husband when we found him!"

"I think you must be mistaken, miss. Mouri-san would never commit a murder! He's —" the inspector was cut off by another voice.

"She's right, Yokomizo-keiji," said Kogoro as he walked towards the window. "Since Hirano-san was found dead beside me, it makes me one of the suspects." When he saw the inspector about to speak again, Mouri cut him off. "The last thing I remember earlier was having a drink with Eri at the top floors of this building and then the next thing I knew, I passed out. However, that doesn't mean that I am the one who killed Hirano-san! I swear on my life that I will figure out the truth behind this case!" He punched the wall beside him, causing many people inside the room to have their eyes widen. Conan, on the other hand, grinned at him.

'Way to go, occhan!' He thought. After that, he went outside of the hotel to gather more clues. 'Let's see.' He stroked his chin slightly. 'The murder weapon is missing from the body. A knife would be the nost fitting for Hirano-san's wound. Nami-san said that she was just in her room, but the police checked already, and there was nothing suspicious.' He headed for the parking lot searched for the car that Hashimoto-san used according to his descriptions earlier. A family-sized SUV which was painted solely black. Using his watch, he was able to find it and he first looked under it, but nothing caught his eye. He continued to search despite it.

Just when he was about to say that the car is cleared from any evidences, he saw something at the passenger seat. He pointed his flashlight at it and smirked at what he found. 'Found you. I knew it. But I need more concrete evidence besides this.' Conan began to reminisce about what happened this afternoon and remembered something when Ran and him went back to the hotel. The boy then began to run back towards the beach.

He pointed his wristwatch at the coastal lines. 'It's gotta be here. That person went here to bury it!' Halfway through the whole place, he then noticed a small rock near a hole in the sand as realization struck him. He stared at the hotel and smirked. 'You think I won't catch to your little plan? Think again.' He saw two officers searching the coastal line as well so he went over to where they were. "Oji-san!" he called out.

"What is it, boy?" one of them replied.

"Mouri-tantei wanted me to ask you to do something for him! He said that it will help solve the case!"

When the boy got back to the room, he saw Eri talking to Kogoro while Yokomizo-keiji kept on asking the two suspects questions. The boy snuck up behind the detective amd aimed his watch at his neck. 'You two can talk later, occhan. I need to solve this case first.' He fired the tranquilizer and Kogoro fell asleep on the nearest chair, leaving Eri confused as the boy prepared the man's voice on his bowtie. "You don't need to ask further questions, keibu."

Yokomizo was cut off from what he was saying and looked at Mouri, whom the voice originated from. His eyes widened in astonishment. "That pose!" he exclaimed. "So you have solved the case, Mouri-san?"

"Yes." Nearly everyone's eyes inside the room widened. "Before I unveil who is the one behind this, let me explain the sitauation of Hirano-san. First, rigor mortis was present in his body, meaning that more than 2 hours have passed since he died. I was with Eri that time, thus eliminating me from the suspect list. Am I right?" Conan snuck a glance at the woman, who nodded in response. "Next, Hashimoto-san said that he went to their car while Nami-san was in their room, but their alibi wasn't confirmed, making them the only suspects in this case." Yokomizo began to stare down at the two. "Since the body was found in his own room, that would mean that I went there on my own. And so that's when the culprit snuck sleeping pills in both mine and Eri's drinks, making us fall asleep afterwards."

The lawyer suddenly spoke up. "Come to think of it, I had no idea how I got to the bedroom."

"Then the culprit hid our bodies because it would create suspicion. He carried Eri back first, since she was lighter than me. Unlike me, she was carried straight to our room. But I was brought to Hirano-san's room to fulfil the culprit's plan. And that is to frame me. I don't know what motive the killer has, but I think it's now clear who the culprit is." Conan looked at Nami-san. "An ordinary woman is not much capable of carrying a man like me, so that leaves us with only one suspect."

"M-MASAKA?!" Yokomizo, Eri, and Nami-san stuttered.

"Yeah. Hirano-san was killed by the one who was checking their car at the parking lot. Hashimoto Katsuya-san, it's you!" All pairs of eyes turned to the wide-eyed male who began to sweat furiously.

"Since Nami-san was in her room, you couldn't risk barging in. But when she left, that's when you knocked on the door and when Hirano-san opened it, that was the perfect time for you to kill him." Hashimoto-san then looked down on the floor, with his bangs covering his eyes. "After you killed him, you hid him under the bed. Since the floor of every room here is covered with a mat, the blood won't be detectable. Then you came to the top floors to slip the sleeping pills. You carried Eri back to our room, while you left me in Hirano-san's room with the victim, making me a prime suspect in the process." All of a sudden, Yokomizo's phone began to vibrate, and he answered the incoming call. "I think he was originally planning for Nami-san to see it first, but that part didn't work out for him." Hashimoto-sam then clenched his fists in anger.

"Somebody else could've done what you said as well!" he said in a thunderous voice. "If you're so dead set in accusing me, Mouri, then where's your evidence?! Show us the proof that it was me who did it!"

"Oh, I almost forgot, how silly of me!" Nearly every person in the room threw the detective a look of confusion. "Conan saw a mysterious man wearing a cap earlier this afternoon! The boy told me that the man was kneeling down on the coastline of the beach."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Are yo u going to deny that it was you who played that part?" The man's eyes widened. "That was you when you were trying to hide the murder weapon, which was a knife. But it's no use hiding it, since it is already found." Hashimoto gritted his teeth.

"Impossible! It's already gone! The knife is not there!"

This caused Yokomizo to throw him a look of confusion. "Wait a minute, Hashimoto-san. How did you know?" The man looked at him. "How did you know that the knife disappeared?" His eyes widened.

"W-well, I j-just happened to hear you t-talking about it…"

Yokomizo went closer to him. "That's strange, I was speaking to my men quietly with no other person meddling. And how did you know? The only people who are supposed to know about it are Conan-kun and the two officers that are at the beach right now."

"That's because no one but the culprit knows what happened to it," piped up Mouri. "First, he dug a hole deep enough for the knife to fit in. He then put a small rock over it to conceal the weapon from anyone who tries to look. Because of high tide, the waves could reach the hole and fill it with water. Afterwards, the rock and knife will float away and the murder weapon is gone for good." Hashimoto knelt on the floor. "There's also the set of clothes that he used as disguise in their car. Perhaps he was planning to dispose of it when he had the chance. Now what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Hirano… never paid his debts to me." Everyone began to listen to what his motives were. "Years ago, he pleaded for me to lend him some money because he wanted to fully pay for his car, which was the SUV that we used. Not long after that, he once again pleaded for money, and it would repeat itself over and over again until he forgot all about it."

"Then why did you wanted to frame Mouri-san?" asked the inspector.

Hashimoto chuckled slightly. "I knew you would ask that. Ever since our whole class knew about Mouri and Eri's separation, I had never been so happy in my life." Everyone's eyes widened, except for Eri and Conan, who furrowed their brows at where this was going. "I could finally be with the woman I loved." Ran had to cover her mouth to muffle a gasp. "But due to the debts that Hirano hasn't paid, I didn't have any chance to make a move. Then news spread that they were back together again. I figured that what if I could kill both Mouri and Hirano at the same time? That's when I thought of this plan. I figured if Mouri could go to prison, I could be with Eri… But since that failed…"

It happened in a snap. Hashimoto was back to his feet with another knife in his hand, and charged at Kogoro with a raging look on his face. "I'll just have to send you to heaven instead!" he bellowed. All of a sudden, the lawyer stepped in front of her husband with an emotionless look, causing the man to slow down a bit. Eri took advantage with Kogoro's trademark 'one-arm over the back throw', slamming him to the ground. Conan smirked, while everyone else were astounded.

"I'll never be with criminals like you," Eri said as she stared into his eyes. "You'd be better paired with justice instead." Hashimoto scoffed and looked away."

 **The Next Day…**

Kogoro yawned as he drove their car all the way back home. Due to last night's case, he was barely able to get some shut-eye. "Oto-san was amazing last night! He solved the case within record time!" exclaimed Ran.

Kogoro cleared his throat. "Of course, nobody can outwit the intelligence of the great detective, Mouri Kogoro!" He began to laugh like a maniac, earning him a smack from his wife.

'That's what you get, old man,' Conan thought with a chuckle.

"Focus on the road, anata," she said, smiling warmly. "And please be quiet for the rest of our trip back, all right?" Kogoro grinned at her, causing Eri to cross her arms and smirk. "I can't believe it, after many years, I'm coming home." Her last statement made Conan, Ran, and Kogoro smile widely.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"You can visit us anytime, okay?"**_

 _ **"What do you know about him?!"**_

 _ **"Why didn't you help her?"**_

 _ **"What have they done to you, Aniki?"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 39: OLD HOME, NEW LIFE**_

* * *

 _ **And that's a wrap! Only three chapters remain before the Revenge arc comes to an end, folks! There are five filler fanfics after the main trilogy and who knows when I'm starting one of them. I don't even know what filler to do first! If you can, you can leave a review regarding the first filler you want me to do first or you can visit my FB page and vote there. The filler with the most votes will be the first that I would work on. But if there are not enough votes, then I'll just choose on my own. After all, the main story is what I prioritize the most. The fillers can come in anytime. Also, 'Double Dates Everywhere' has overthrown both 'Valentines' Week' chapters as the fan favorites now. I was honestly surprised that the views that it got are double the number of readers it has. Wow, I'd never expect that many readers would actually like it. Thanks for that. Anyway, Ai now has suspicions towards Okiya Subaru and stay tuned to see how will she find out if Gin really speaks the truth. Agasa-hakase is still missing up to now and Gin is transitioning into a full-blown good guy. The next chapter will feature Conan moving back to his old house, therefore with his beloved Ai. A very major event will also happen that will lead to the biggest crime of the BO yet. I guess that's enough spoilers for now. Maybe after this chapter, I'll come up with the chapter names for TNG. After all, I'm itching to write that too. Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	39. Old Home, New Life

_**A brand new chapter for the 1st day of the month! Now this is one of the chapters I really had fun on writing. Surprisingly, someone did vote for one of the fillers I told you all about last time. Not in the reviews, but in the FB page. It was none other than Fairy Tail's First Guild Master, MAVIS VERMILION! Not a joke. The one who commented on the post has the name 'Mavis Vermilion'. And wanna know what she voted for? CoAi! Just when I thought that nobody would care if I create fillers, someone voted for one. Since she's the only person who voted, it's official. The CoAi fic (lemon-filled) will be the first filler fanfic of my universe.**_

 _ **Speaking of the fillers, last chapter I said that I would come up with each of their titles, right? I apologize if they are too shallow, but nonetheless, here they are:**_

 _ **-Love at its Highest (CoAi)**_

 _ **-Earning Happiness (EisukexRan)**_

 _ **-My Own Path (KaitoxAkako)**_

 _ **-Two Hearts, Beating as One (SaguruxAoko)**_

 _ **-Start of a New Chapter (RyuuichixKazuko)**_

 _ **That's enough news regarding the fillers! About MOTH, I have come up with the titles of the chapters! If you wish to view them, all you need to do is view this fanfic's FB page! If you don't want to, fine. The Christmas season has finally come so maybe I'll be busy in the coming days. But it's only a MAYBE, and there's a chance I'll be updating again as soon as possible. I'd like to thank the one person who's helped me throughout this entire fic, and that's Froodle Soup! She's a great person to talk to and she's the only whom I have shared the entire plot with. If you don't mind, support her fics too! See you on the author's notes at the end!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I swear DC would be better if I did own it…**_

* * *

The whole family, including Conan, stopped by first at Eri's old apartment to get the last of her belongings before finally heading back to the agency. As soon as they got home, Kogoro immediately threw himself at the couch, exhausted from their whole trip, even though he still enjoyed the time he had with his wife, who will now be living with him and Ran again. A certain person suddenly sprang up in his thoughts which was Conan. Before he could even think of what would happen to their family, Kogoro was cut off with a familiar voice.

"Ran-neechan, could you help me pack up my things?" asked Conan, causing Ran, Eri, and Kogoro's eyes to widen. Did Ran just hear him say that? It's gotta be a lie, isn't it? There's no way that Conan would want to pack all of his belongings since there's no event for him to attend to.

"W-what did you just say, Conan-kun?" replied Ran, pretending that she didn't hear what he said.

"Can you help me pack my things, Ran-neechan?"

"What for?" Ran was starting to realize what he was talking about. Conan talked about leaving the agency yesterday, right? The girl began to wonder how things would be like if he did leave. Sure, she'd be happy now that her mom is back, but she'll be sad again now that the boy whom she considered as a brother is gone. She didn't realize that tears were starting to form in her eyes.

"I'm going to move to Shinichi-niichan's house! I already talked to Yukiko no oba-san and —" Before he knew it, the girl collapsed on her knees and hugged him like there was no tomorrow, tears freely flowing from her eyes. Kogoro noticed this and immediately sat up and raised an eyebrow, and Eri did the same when she came out of the bedroom after settling her belongings there. Conan's eyes widened as he stared at his childhood friend crying.

"Don't go, Conan-kun!" she cried. "Please tell me you're just joking! Please tell me that you're happy with us! You can't leave!" Kogoro and Eri looked at each other before the lawyer began to speak.

"Ran, what is going on?" she asked.

The teen looked at her and her eyes slightly widened at the sight of her daughter's crying face. The same face she made when she left her to Kogoro. "Conan-kun t-talked to me yesterday, while we were h-heading to Izu. He said that since you're c-coming back to live with us again, he'll move out from here." The lawyer was leff standing at her spot, speechless. So Conan was planning to leave the agency when she comes back? No wonder why Ran is breaking down in tears right now.

The girl turned her attention back to Conan. "I told you that you can stay here with us… You are not a burden to us, and I love you like a brother. I already lost someone important to me, I can't lose you too!"

The last statement that Ran spoke made Conan widen his eyes. 'She must be talking about me,' he thought. 'Forgive me, Ran. But your safety is one of my top priorities.' The boy shook his head. "Gomennasai, Ran-neechan," he said softly. "This place wasn't even my real home to begin with." At this point, Ran had stopped crying and simply listened to him. "To be honest, I enjoyed every moment we shared as a family, Ran-neechan. I had fun going to school with you. I loved your cooking. I felt like a rich kid whenever we go on long trips. I also enjoyed helping Kogoro-ojisan in his cases." Conan's last statement almost made even the detective cry, but was able to resist it. "But, this place isn't my real home. I called Yukiko no oba-san and she told me to live at Shinichi-niichan's home since my parents feel that I would be ruining your perfect family if I'm still here."

"How can you say that?!" Ran screamed with her tears flowing again, punching the floor with every word. Conan saw her two parents flinch a bit at their daughter acting like that. "You are not ruining our family! In fact, it'll be happier if you're here! Everything will just be worse if you leave! Even oto-san can admit that he actually likes it when you're here! So please don't leave us!" Ran looked down on the floor while Conan wanted to break character and just hug her, but he needed to keep cool for his own sake. "Don't leave me," she finished in a whisper, hoping that Conan didn't hear it.

It proved to be wrong since the boy had an extraordinary sense of hearing. Her last sentence ALMOST made him want to reconsider his decision of moving out of the agency, but he ultimately shook that thought off when he imagined what could happen if he remained here. Sure, she would be happy to see him still by her side, but since the BO has attacked Hakase's home with him missing, he simply cannot let the same fate happen to either Ran, Eri, or Kogoro. If it did, he would've blamed himself for not taking the chance to leave the agency. He hoped that with his last statements, she would give in, as he didn't want to hurt her anymore. "You are not thinking straight, Ran-neechan." The girl looked up at him. "Me leaving this place doesn't mean that all of you would be sad. I am still here, I'll always be. I can still be a little brother to you, even if I'm not by your side. It's not like I'm going to be gone forever nor that Shinichi-niichan's house is miles away. You can visit me anytime you want and I'll make sure to drop by here anytime I can. You shouldn't let this one accident hinder you from achieving what you want. Go and live your dreams for me, Ran-neechan." Ran simply kneeled there with her mouth wide open, dumbfounded with Conan's words. Even her parents were totally speechless at his statements. He stepped forward as he stared into her eyes. "If you really love me, let me move out. It's not the end of the world Ran-neechan."

It's like dèja vu for Ran. She thought that she'll only have her heart broken when Shinichi confessed what he truly felt to her, but she was so wrong. What's more, hearing those words from the boy she treated like family got to her more than Shinichi did. She almost wanted to lock herself in her room and cry her eyes out for being rejected once again, but deep down, she felt that he was right. The agency was never Conan's house in the first place. He just showed up out of nowhere at Agasa-hakase's home and she agreed to take care of him even though she didn't know who he was. And even if he did leave, it's not like he'll be going to another country or he's going to die, because he was still nearby. In fact, Shinichi's house is only a walking distance from her home. He would always be her little brother, no matter what happens. That's when finally, she decided on her resolve. She wasn't going to let this matter drown her in a state of sadness. Like what Conan said, she should live her dreams instead of weeping over such a silly thing.

She wiped the tears off of her eyes and smiled softly at the boy, earning a sigh of relief from Kogoro and Eri, and a huge grin from Conan. Ran couldn't keep herself from chuckling as she pulled him in for a tight hug. "You're right, Conan-kun," she breathed out. "You won't really leave us and you'll always be there." She stood up and grabbed his hand. "Since you asked for my help in packing up your things earlier, I'll help you." The two went inside Conan's room to get started.

"Anata, what do say we help them?" Eri asked sweetly. A huge grin from her husband was the only response that she needed before they went inside Conan's room too.

 **Tomorrow…**

Ai and Kazuko went to the gate as soon as they heard a car honking outside. Conan called them last night, saying that he will be living with them from now on. Kazuko jumped at the thought of her favorite couple living under the same roof, while Ai complained about letting an idiot move in with them and that she'd rather have Ryuuichi, before breaking into a fit of laughter. They opened the gate as Kogoro set down Conan's suitcase on the ground. He grins sheepishly at the two girls before going back to the other side of the car, where Ran was telling Conan her goodbye words.

Even if she was now okay with Conan leaving, Ran couldn't help but shed a few tears for him. He has really been like a brother to him for a year and a half. Only Kogoro and Ran went with the boy to his new home because Eri was busy cooking lunch, but she did send her farewell message to Conan. "Don't forget to visit once in a while, Conan-kun!" she warned, trying to sound threatening. "If you don't, you'll get a taste of my karate!" Conan couldn't help but chuckle and answer with a hug.

"I will, Ran-neechan," he replied as he saw Kogoro knelt down to his height level.

"Take care of yourself, gaki," he said as he tried not to stare into the boy's eyes. "Thanks for being there for Ran and…" The old man couldn't keep it together as he hugged Conan too, making it a three-way hug between the three. "Thanks for helping me to get this far. I don't even know if I could've reached where I am right now if you weren't there. And I'm sorry for all the times I hit you, okay?"

After a full minute, the two broke off their contact from Conan with a smile. The boy flashed his iconic grin as Ran and her father went inside the car. They smiled at each other one more time before Kogoro finally stepped on the gas, leaving Conan standing there. 'I'm gonna miss them,' he thought as he turned his attention to the gate, where Ai, who was smirking and leaning on the metal bars while Kazuko was grinning widely. He went to his suitcase and planted his palms on his hips. "Why are you two looking at me like that?" he asked.

"I was hoping to see you cry, Shinichi," Ai said with her usual tone of sarcasm as she started to head back to the house. "Since that's your suitcase, you be the one to take it inside. I'm going to the station later on, anyway." Conan simply sighed and replied with a smirk of his own before Kazuko walked up to him.

"I could help you with your case," she said, but Conan shook his head in disagreement.

"No, thanks. Just head inside, I can handle this." The girl then hugged him, much to his surprise, and she broke away after a few seconds.

"It'll be fun living with you, Shinichi-kun." She went back inside, leaving Conan on where he was standing. Slowly, the boy made his way to the door while thinking over some important matters.

'Okay, I have moved out of the agency. That'll surely erase all suspicions regarding that place. I can't risk Ran and her family too knowing what the BO had done to Agasa-hakase's home. Speaking of which, where is that old man? Is he dead? Or is he missing? He hasn't shown up ever since… I surely hope he's not gone for good. That'll make things worse for both sides. Well, since I live here again, I can talk to Akai-san freely. But I need to be careful around Ai. Who knows what she might hear when she walks in on us talking...'

 **One Month Later…**

Everything seemed to be going well for everyone. While some police officers still doubt Gin's allegiance, like Megure, Shiratori, and Matsumoto-keiji, by now Conan has fully placed his trust on the man, seeing how he regularly helps the police to investigate and gather more clues regarding the BO. One time, during lunch when he saw Gin running away from the guards that were watching him, Conan didn't even flinch, knowing that the former member wasn't escaping. He proved himself to be right, after they all witnessed that he just ran away to give his food to a poor girl who was roaming around, and she looked really hungry, much to the police's shock. Even though every time Conan teases him about having a change of heart, Gin would just brush him off and deny it, too ashamed to admit to himself that he really is changing. And due to the change of personality that he had has led Conan to fully trust and accept him as a comrade just a week ago after having another private conversation with him regarding his dark past.

For Ran and her family, Conan made sure to visit anytime he could. And whenever he does, Ran always makes the best food she could cook. Even Kogoro had to admit that he loved seeing Conan visit from time to time that it reached the point where he personally went to the boy's home to invite him on a family dinner, since he considered him like his own son. Conan, having treated them like family, made no move to decline their offer and simply enjoyed the rest of the night with them, with Ran being so thankful to her father for having the boy join them. Ran also brought him to her date with Eisuke, not caring that it would make things awkward. And because of that, the two were able to catch up and Conan explained the truth to him. The boy thanked him and he entrusts Ran to him, feeling that he could give her the happiness that he himself failed to give. It made him wonder that what would happen if he revealed that he was really Kudo Shinichi. Would things stay the same? The thought of not telling the truth crossed his mind and he'd have no problem with it because he's willing to admit that it's far better as Conan than Shinichi. However, he ultimately rejects the idea, because the truth will always come out in the end.

He still catches up with his four best friends from time to time. And they manage to reunite once when Kogoro took Conan with him and Ran for a trip to a Japanese castle. As expected, a case happened during that trip but it was solved in no time by the four-man team of Conan, Saguru, Kaito, and Heiji. The three would always tease Conan about having to handle the hardest girl between the four of them, much to his annoyance. Even if he tries to argue that Kaito has some difficulty in handling Akako, Conan always loses. All in all, their friendship and bond are stronger than ever that even Saguru had a slight change of personality. But they would always remain rivals as well.

Since it is now summer vacation, Teitan Primary School has no classes for two months as well as every school in Japan. Conan, Ryuuichi and Ai finished Grade 4 with perfect grades, as expected, even though the the three didn't care. Kazuko was slightly behind them, mainly because she's more occupied with her books, and that she has made her decision to be a writer someday. Their three other friends were so proud of them and Kazuko decided that they'll spend the night altogether again at Haido hotel. Conan, Ryuuichi, Genta, Mitsuhiko first made sure that the girls won't drink any alcohol, not wanting their past incident to happen again. They ate delicious food, played a few games, watched scary movies, making Conan, Ryuuichi, Ai, and Kazuko admit that it's not so bad when their three friends want to be with them. Lastly, even if there were no classes, many requests for help in the form of letters have been sent to any of their houses, and to Conan, it was a way for the Detective Boys to stay alive.

Regarding Ai, Conan makes sure that they visit Akemi on Saturday every week, wanting to keep his beloved Shiho happy. She has made a huge progress on the antidote in such a short amount of time that it may be ready in a few days. The data on APTX 4869 that she still has and her scientist friends are the ones she should give her thanks to. One time, when Conan went to her lab to check on her, Ai said it was perfect timing, since she has a new prototype antidote she wanted to test. She had no idea if it would be permanent and, fearing that she'll lose the man she loved the most, she decided to take it too. They returned to their original bodies, forcing the police to escort them back home.

They were thankful that Kazuko wasn't home, knowing that if she sees the two of them in their adult forms, she'll switch into her "Shipper" mode, wherein she'll try to make the couple cuter and more romantic than ever. Since they had nothing to do for the rest of the day, Shinichi suggested that they go on another date, to which Shiho immediately agrees on.

They first went shopping, with Shiho carrying five paper bags filled with clothes in the end while Shinichi was carrying seven. He laughed at Shiho's undying taste for fashion and he called Subaru to pick up the clothes they bought. The man wearing glasses got there in less than ten minutes and took all of the bags they had. Before he left though, Shinichi noticed that Subaru was smirking at him, causing the detective to blush slightly.

Their next stop was the cinema. Shinichi couldn't stop himself from laughing when he found out that Shiho wanted to watch an animated movie entitled 'Toy Story', earning him a smack to the head from his girlfriend. By the time the movie had ended, the teen boy was ready to admit that he liked it until he saw Shiho sleeping on his shoulder. He gently woke her up, and said that they'll have a nice dinner to finish their date.

Now that they are back to being 18-year old teens, they could order whatever they want at the restaurant they were in. To Shinichi's surprise, Shiho ordered a bottle of alcohol and when he asked why she would drink tonight, she calmly replies that she wants to clear her mind a bit. Their whole dinner was certainly a moment that they wanted to reminisce for years to come because of the food, atmosphere, and the heartwarming conversation that they had. Shinichi managed to prevent his girlfriend from having too much alcohol, at the cost of him having three shots to drink. They went back home to see that both Subaru and Kazuko were asleep, since it was nearly midnight.

They had another conversation on opposite couches, this time it was somehow more serious. Both stated that the BO could be lurking around anywhere and could strike anytime. Shinichi also said that one or the both of them might die any day due to the unresolved problem. Hearing this from her boyfriend's mouth made her say that she'll rather die with him because she didn't want to live the rest of her life without the person she loved most. Slightly surprised, Shinichi replies that he doesn't want that to happen to him as well. He then promises her that they'll stay as partners and lovers at the very end, bringing a smile to her face. Being under the slight influence of alcohol, Shiho tells him that she doesn't want to die being a virgin. Surprisingly, the same goes for Shinichi who answered the same as they stood up and gazed into each other's vision. The whole living room was slightly dim and it felt like time had just slowed down.

With all the walls broken down, the two shared a kiss filled with passion and lust. To them, anything else didn't matter at the moment. Not even the BO, Kazuko, Subaru, or anyone else. Shinichi immediately invaded her mouth with his hot tongue, causing Shiho to moan in the kiss. He took off her newly bought Gucci coat this afternoon as the kissing intensified. She ran her fingers back and forth through his hair furiously then came down to his neck in order to pull him in to deepen their makeout session, with all negative thoughts leaving her mind in exchange for the man kissing her. The detective sneaked his hands to her bottom, causing her to gasp into the liplock as he carried her with her long legs automatically wrapping around his waist. Her tongue found its way to his own as they battled for dominance with Shinichi gaining the upper hand, much to her joy. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was kind of a masochist when it involves events such as this. Sure, she was a virgin, but that didn't stop her from reading novels about this. The next thing she knew, she was slammed against the wall causing them to break the kiss momentarily as she bit her lip and smiled seductively while she stared at his eyes. Shinichi didn't bother to attack her mouth once more with her tongue lightly grazing his teeth and his own finding a cavity of hers to work on. He broke the kiss as he went lower down to her neck, placing chaste kisses everywhere, causing her to close her eyes and throw her head back on the wall and let the pleasure flow through her entire body.

They resumed their makeout session as he carried her all the way to his parents' bedroom and locked the door before gently throwing his auburn-haired lover down on the bed. She looked at him and met his lust-filled gaze while breathing heavily from their intense makeout. Never in a thousand years that she would experience this with the idiotic, dense detective she loves the most. The both of them smiled as he straddled her hips and dove down to capture her sweet lips again.

That night, Shinichi and Shiho lost their virginity to one another.

XXX

The detective opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling above him. He checked his arm and saw that it was back to child's length. 'So it only lasted for a day,' he thought. 'Last time, it lasted three days. This only means that Shiho is close to completing it and to think that only a few weeks have passed.' He sat up, and noticed that Ai was sleeping peacefully on the other side. He looked down and saw that he was naked, and then he blushed, managing to remember the steamy events that occured last night. 'So it wasn't a dream after all. I thought that I was having the best dream ever, but I guess it's a dream come true!'

He glanced once more at his lover and brushed a strand of hair away from her beautiful face. He smiled warmly before bringing their blanket closer to her face.

Afterwards, he noticed something at the top of his parents' drawer beside the bed. A used condom. 'FUCK!' he cursed inwardly. He needed to get rid of that damn object before his parents, Kazuko, or even Subaru could see it! He quickly got dressed but made sure not to create noise since he didn't want to wake Ai up since it was too early in the morning and she deserves a good sleep considering last night's events.

After putting his clothes on, he took the condom and went out the room, carefully closing the door again. He looked downstairs, making sure that there was no sign of Kazuko nor Subaru. After half a minute and nobody showed up, he went downstairs, ready to throw the condom at the garbage can in the kitchen.

However, just as he was about to drop it into the can, a familiar voice made him froze in place.

"What are you doing?"

Conan turned to who was speaking and saw that it was Akai Shuuichi. However, he wasn't in disguise as Okiya Subaru and he looked like his old self. He was wearing his bonnet, blue jacket and pants (The attire he had in episode 345). Conan quirked an eyebrow on why wasn't he disguised before the FBI agent spoke again.

"What is that?" he asked leaning closer to get a better view of what was Conan holding. The boy reacted immediately and threw it inside the garbage can before shrugging.

"Nothing, I just threw away a plain old biscuit wrapper," he answered out of desperation. Unfortunately for him, Shuuichi already knew what he was holding before he threw it away.

He crossed his arms, smirked, and leaned in closer to the boy's face. "That was a condom, wasn't it?" he teased while Conan was sweating more and more by the second.

"What condom, where? And why would I use a condom? What for? Can't you see I'm a kid? I can't use one!" the boy was getting more and more nervous by the second that he didn't even know what to answer anymore. All he could do is just deny everything the agent throws at him, hoping that he'd buy his excuses.

"What were you and Miyano-san doing last night, huh?" he leaned a bit closer and his smirk grew even wider, wanting to expose the dark secret regarding the little detective in front of him.

Conan's face went redder and redder as steam came out of his ears. This time, he had nothing else to answer. So he went for his last resort, hoping that Shuuichi would just stop embarrassing him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The FBI agent knelt down to Conan's height and he had to suppress a chuckle from seeing the great detective embarrassed. "Stop denying it, your face says otherwise."

Conan sighed and leaned on the wall behind him as Shuuichi stood back up. "Fine, you caught me. Shiho and I did do something last night." Shuuichi's eyes widened slightly. "But don't worry about two kids doing it because we were in our teenage forms that time, all right?!" The agent couldn't help but snicker. "So why aren't you in disguise?"

"I figured that you were going to ask that." He sighed and took a seat at the dining table while Conan did the same. "I received a call from James last night. He told me to leave this house and rendesvous with Jodie today because he's worried about the three of you. He also said that the end is near and that we must prepare for the worst, so all the more reason for me to leave..."

Ai yawned and arched her back to stretch a bit. When she felt that she was completely naked underneath the blanket, her heart felt like it was going to burst into fireworks of joy. She thought for sure that what happened last night was just another hopeless dream since she was drunk, but she's wrong. 'I think I'll consider yesterday as the best day of my life, Onee-chan!' she sang happily in her mind. As soon as she saw her arm not being long anymore, she realized that the antidote has worn off. 'It only lasted for a day…' She stroked her chin. 'That could only mean that I am close to completing it!' Just when she was about to envelope the person beside her in a tight hug, she saw that her boyfriend wasn't there. 'Maybe he's downstairs, then. Gotta dress up!'

As soon as she was dressed, she immediately went down the stairs but before she could fully reveal herself, she stopped in her tracks upon hearing two voices talking to each other in the kitchen. "When will you show up again?" said a voice that no doubt belongs to Conan. She sneaked a glance at whoever was in the kitchen and her eyes widened at who she saw.

It was her beloved Conan. Talking with a former member of the BO. The person she knew as Dai Moroboshi. She could recognize him by the eyes and face alone. Be was also the man who dated her sister. She raised her eyebrow and wondered how did Conan know who he was. Was he another rebel like Gin? Or was Conan trying to intimidate him? She shook her head to release herself from the shock she had and listened closely to what they were talking about.

"I don't know when exactly," replied Dai. "But know that I'll always be there when you need me the most." Now Ai was totally confused. Did this mean that Dai Moroboshi was a good guy and he's on their side? Or was he hiding something?

"If you do come back, will you disguise yourself as Okiya Subaru again?" The scientist's eyes widened as she covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. Dai Moroboshi was Okiya Subaru all along? That meant he had been living with her all this time! How does Conan know who he is?! Ai has never told him about Dai Moroboshi before! She wanted to know the truth, so she took a deep breath and flashed her emotionless mask before stepping out.

"I don't know. Maybe or —" Shuuichi was cut short from his sentence when he heard someone clearing their throat. Him and Conan turned their heads only to see Ai staring coldly at them with her arms crossed. Both of their eyes widened as they stared at her.

"May I ask what is your business here, _Moroboshi-san_?" she asked, breaking the silence and emphasizing on the name she knew him as. "It's been a while, though. The last time I saw you, you were with Onee-chan." The scientist was sure that she caught him flinching a bit at the mention of her sister. "Not with the organization, I see."

"Ai, it's not what it looks like!" Conan defended as the girl turned her attention towards him. "You know him in that name, but that's not his real one!" She raised an eyebrow, wondering what Conan is talking about. "He's actually Shuuichi Akai, an FBI agent! He's not a BO member!"

She glared at him. "Stay out of this, Conan. This is between me and my _former_ brethren." Hearing how she sounded, the detective didn't speak anymore, fearing what would she do. She turned back to Dai but before she could even tell him anything, the man threw his wallet in front of her and she gave him a look of confusion before picking it up and looked at what's inside.

She saw Shuuichi's ID as an agent of the FBI. His badge was also there, hidden between bills of money. Her eyes widened and she suddenly felt a pang of guilt hit her, because Conan was right. Dai Moroboshi is actually Shuuichi Akai, an FBI agent. However, she won't let herself break down and plead for forgiveness. Since the man in front of her was the person whom her sister dated, he must know something about Akemi. She wanted the truth to come out, because it won't be hidden forever. "Does that prove what tantei-kun's saying is true to you?" he asked calmly.

"If you're really an FBI agent…" she spoke softly, her bangs hiding her eyes, leaving the two people in front of her confused. "Then why?" she asked, showing her near-to-tears face. She tried holding in her sadness, as she didn't want to look weak in front of Conan, who recently realized that she wasn't a crybaby anymore; but she couldn't take it because of seeing the person closest to her sister besides her. "Why didn't you help her?!" she blurted out as tears threatened to flow from her eyes. Conan and Shuuichi's eyes widened at the expression on her face. "Didn't you love her? Or did you just use her for information?"

Shuuichi stepped closer to her. When she almost attempted to take a step back, he stopped when they were a metre away from each other. "Miyano-san," he started, with the girl shivering at hearing her real last name be called. "I admit that there was a time that I only wanted information from her. But as time passed, I knew that I was falling for her." The scientist was taken aback at what he said, and that's when her tears started flowing. She knows she shouldn't but she couldn't take it.

"Then why didn't you help her when she needed someone to save her?!" she stomped on the floor at every word, and Conan wished that he could just hug her tight on where she was to comfort her, but he kept at bay.

Shuuichi gulped, because this was now the perfect time to tell the truth. "During our last meeting together, when I broke up with her to protect her she made me promise to never go back for her, since she knows that she'll die when she betrays the Organization." Her eyes widened with what the FBI agent just said. That can't be true, can it? There's no way that Akemi would do such a thing! If she did, she was crazy! Just when the girl was about to argue with him, Shuuichi continued on. "I was shocked to hear her say that. The reason I separated from her was to keep her from harm, but she told me that she knows she'll be gone. She also made me promise to look after you." Ai collapsed to her knees as she looked at the ground, not caring if she was too out of character now. "She told me to always protect, and look out for you because if you died, she told me that she'll blame herself for what happened. Believe me, I was deeply saddened by her passing as well."

Conan was fighting the urge to hug and hold his girlfriend, knowing that this is something she needed to face on her own. He just wished he could take it more than he thought.

Shuuichi stepped forward and reached into his pocket. Looking up, she saw the agent giving her a USB flash drive and she threw him a look of confusion. "Akemi gave me this before we parted ways," he said as Ai took the USB. "If you look into its contents, you'll see a voice file that has your name in it. Akemi made that message for only you to hear."

She sniffled and stared at the object in her hand. Her sister had a message for her? While she could've jumped at the chance of hearing her sister again, a part of her said that maybe she'll just be hurt when she hears Akemi's voice. She was totally confused on what she should do at the moment, but she decided to answer that question later.

She stood up and wiped the tears off of her eyes. She bowed slightly to Shuuichi, who raised an eyebrow. "Arigato," she whispered soft enough for only him to hear. She turned to the living room and grabbed her lab coat from the couch as she put it on.

"Where are you going?" Conan asked, confused with the turn of events just now.

"To the station," she replied blankly. "Please don't disturb me right now, I need time " Before the detective knew it, she was already out of the house, with the USB in her right fist. He gritted his teeth and started to walk after her, but the FBI agent behind him placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.

"Let her be, she needs time to herself," he stated, earning a nod from Conan.

 **Meanwhile…**

A man in a black suit donning a fedora hat with black glasses stared at the picture Vermouth has sent him. 'What have they done to you, Aniki? No wonder he's been missing all this time,' he thought to himself. Vermouth sent him a picture of Gin while he was in his cell in Beika. The woman managed to sneak in as a fellow police officer and took a shot of Gin sleeping. Vodka gritted his teeth and immediately sent a message to Rum that will be relayed to the boss. He had a partner to save. 'Don't worry, Aniki. I'll come get you…'

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"It's… finished."**_

 _ **"Let me deal with him…"**_

 _ **"What are you doing, Aniki?!"**_

 _ **"I'm giving you the first sample, Akai-san…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 40: ANTI-4869**_

* * *

 _ **THEY FINALLY DID IT! I WAS WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT! *applause* Bet you didn't see that one coming! Well, that was certainly steamy! I had fun writing the ShinShi moments here and if you have the time, could you tell me your thoughts about the scenes regarding the two? Did I do good? Or bad? Up to you to say so. More steamy scenes with detail will come when 'Love at its Highest' is published. I also loved writing the scenes when Conan is about to move out from the agency, specifically Ran's reaction to it. Good thing I had both Shinichi and Shiho transform back before they did it! I would've never been able to forgive myself if I didn't. This chapter was mainly about Conan's new life after leaving the detective agency and I had do summarize everything cause I don't want to take too long in detail and that it could have consumed the entire chapter if I did. Secondly, it was also about Ai learning the truth about who Okiya Subaru really is. About how Akai learned who Ai really is, it will be explained in the next chapter. BTW, I informed all of you that the year where this fic takes place is 1994. Since one year has passed since Conan shrunk, and it's now 1995, I chose Toy Story for their movie at the cinema since it was released that year. For the next chap, I think it's obvious what would happen based on the title itself. All in all, this chapter will go down as one of my top-five faves in this fanfic. If you also got the time, can you write a review about your top five favorite chapters? I would like to know and see if I could make it better for you guys next time. Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	40. Anti-4869

**_Okay, we are down to the last two chapters of the Revenge arc! Only a few more weeks or days before we head on the final story arc! And that only means that IABH will be finished soon! If you viewed the chapters of MOTH that I posted in the FB page, I hope it makes you excited! Cause there will be a ton of fluffy CoAi moments in the prequel! Good news for everyone! My mom let me keep my phone as long as I don't play any games! Now, I don't need to worry about how often I update at all! I'll update and update as long as I live! BTW, last chapter, many have been complaining to me about why didn't I just write a lemon instead. The answer is simple. There is a separate fic that will contain those dirty shit. IABH is focused mainly in mystery and adventure, if it's not obvious enough. For the last time, no lemons will be written in this fic. Not even after Conan and Ai's wedding. This fic is changed from rated 'M' into 'T' now and I intend to keep it that way. I already put a VERY light sex scene last chapter, and that will be it, okay? No more, no less. Some also questioned me about why Shiho wasn't a "demon" when she got drunk last chapter. The answer is also simple. It's because her body as Haibara Ai is underage and having her drink will cause her "demonic" personality. But when she's Shiho Miyano, no harm done since she's of age. Anyway, in this chapter, based from the title itself, Ai will finally complete the antidote to APTX 4869. There will also be another event here that will be very important for the buildup to the last chapter of the Revenge arc. so read carefully. 10 chapters are left before IABH is finished folks! Hold on until the end!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of the characters…_**

* * *

Ai adjusted the edges of her lab coat as she went inside the police station. She kept a stern look on her face, even after crying her eyes out earlier when she met her sister's lover before her death. What an unexpected turn of events for her. Because just last night, she was so happy and now she was so sad. 'How the mighty have fallen,' she thought to herself. She didn't head to her lab at once, rather she made a quick detour to the second floor. As much as she hated it, she needed to talk to a silver-haired man whom she once considered an ally. Well, she was unsure of herself if she could ever trust him again, considering that he was the one who killed Akemi. Even if she always hears from Conan on how Gin helps in investigating more about the Organization, she would always doubt his allegiance. But she decided to put her doubts on the side first because the truth is what matters at the moment.

She went inside the room and Gin immediately looked up to see who it was. The person who went inside wasn't quite who he was expecting. Because almost everyday for the past month, Conan has been regularly visiting him to either discuss matters about the organization or talk about their life stories. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the person who despised him the most. "What brings you here, Sherry?" he asked. "It's a surprise to see you."

"I need to talk to you," she said, looking at the man with the straightest look she could flash at the moment.

"Well, that really is a surprise. It's not often to see you wanting to talk to me. He leaned closer to the metal bars. "It must be really important then, am I right?"

Ai directed her gaze away from him and stared at the wall. "It's about Subaru-san." She snuck a glance at him to see if he was raising an eyebrow or something but he was just staring at her, waiting to continue. With that, she spoke again. "You were right. He's not really what I thought it was. It was just a disguise. You were right about him being Moroboshi Dai."

Gin's eyes widened slightly as he looked down on the floor. "So you found out? Well then —" before he could blurt out any further words, the girl spoke again.

"Moroboshi Dai was actually an FBI agent named Akai Shuuichi." Hearing this made the former member shoot his head up at the girl in surprise.

'She knows?' he thought to himself. 'How could that be? I never told her anything about that bastard!' "How did you know who he really was? I never recalled myself telling you anything besides the fact that that four-eyed freak reminds me of Rye!"

"He showed me his badge. He was talking to…" She looked at him for a moment before continuing. "Shinichi about an hour ago, and I caught on to the both of them." Gin leaned back to the wall behind him and closed his eyes. Before he could say anything to reply, Ai cut him off again. "I'm curious to know why," he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me he was an FBI agent instead of waiting what would happen to me if I found out?" Gin couldn't think of anything to say. "Did you want me to get hurt by finding out what Onee-chan left for me or did you just want to hide the truth?!" she added with a tone of anger.

"Simple." He crossed his arms. "If I told you, you would've complained that I was just lying and you'll forget about it, which is something I don't want to happen. You said you wanted the truth, but I doubt that you would believe my words if I was the one to tell you." Her eyes widened. "I wanted you to find the truth yourself."

He was right, even if he did tell her about who Moroboshi Dai really was during their last meeting, she would've brushed him off and ignore whatever he said, and she'll reason that he was just lying to hid the truth further. She looked down on the floor in shame with her bangs covering her eyes. "I see. I'll be on my way now." She started to walk out but not before muttering silently, "Arigato", which caused the man inside the cell to widen his eyes.

She went upstairs to her lab and saw that her fellow scientists were off doing what she assigned them to do. She went to her computer and dropped the USB on the desk. She didn't do anything for the next minutes. The only thing that was bothering her mind right now was if she would listen to the voice file inside the flash drive or not. She didn't know what to do. Sure, she would be happy to hear her sister's voice again, but what's the point? She's dead anyway and hearing her voice again would bring tears to her eyes as well.

Her vision flew to the left side of the room, where three of the scientists there were mixing and separating mixtures for the antidote then the right side, where two of them were testing prototypes on the animals. Afterwards, she finally decided on her resolve. "Hamura-san!" she called out to one of the scientists. "Can you brew a cup of coffee? I'm working overtime today." Her scientist friend only nodded as the girl turned on the computer and began typing away.

 **Five days later** …

Conan drifted to his thoughts as he walked his way towards the station. Yesterday, Ai stated that she has completed the antidote and will be tested today on the test animals that they have in the lab. It made him wonder on how did she complete it that quick. 'Well, that was quick. I never really expected that she'd be finished with it at this time. But it's strange. The last antidote that we both took lasted for a day, now she has the permanent antidote after only five days? Wait a minute, has she been working above the expected time again? That would be the only way that she could have to work for it!' The boy lightly stroked his chin. 'I'm sure of it. She's overexerting herself again.' The boy sighed, put his hands behind his head and stared at the sky above. 'When will that girl ever learn? I already told her not to overexert her efforts in creating it.' An image of Ai smiling suddenly formed in his mind. 'All right, I'll let her slide this time. After all, she's already done —' his thoughts were cut off when his vision suddenly caught a familiar sight in an alleyway opposite of the sidewalk he's walking at.

It was Vodka leaning on the doors of a Black Volkswagen car. Conan thanked whatever deity he could think of because the man was busy calling somebody on his phone that he didn't pay attention to his surroundings. Feeling that this is the perfect opportunity, he quietly crossed the road and stopped at the front wall of the building next to the alleyway. Conan raised an eyebrow when Vodka suddenly stopped leaning on the car. When he saw the BO member was turning his head left and right, he immediately looked away to avoid getting caught and after a few seconds, he resumed spying on the man.

Vodka then went inside the driver's seat and Conan inwardly cursed himself for letting him go and for not reacting sooner. But after half a minute, he started to wonder why the car wasn't moving. He looked back to see that Vodka was motionless in the driver's seat. Feeling that this is safe enough, he went in the alleyway and sighed in relief when he saw the BO member sleeping in his seat. Realizing that he doesn't have much time to investigate the whole vehicle, he just looked at what was in the passenger's seat. His eyes widened at what was placed there.

There was a uniform of a police officer, folded neatly with the cap and badge beside it. There was also a makeup set and a gun, causing the boy to immediately come up with a quick deduction. He started to walk away from the car quietly and once he was outside the alleyway, he immediately ran as fast as he could to the station, he had something important to tell all the police there. 'So that's what he's planning to do! I won't let you do such a thing, Vodka! He won't fall for the BO's tricks anymore!'

Once he reached the station, the detective ignored all the officers who were greeting him at the entrance and immediately headed for the meeting room where Ai stated that it was the place where the antidote would be tested. Conan didn't bother to knock as he opened the door with force, causing everyone inside to look at who it was. The detective went inside, panting heavily and to which Ai immediately reacted by leaving Megure's side and rushing to her boyfriend. Conan looked like he was about to collapse any second, but Ai managed to get to him in time. Murmurs and whispers began to tune up louder in the room while Gin just furrowed his eyebrows together, confused with what happened to the boy. Megure was the one to break the silence. "What are you doing here, Kudo-kun?" he asked. "Are you here to see the antidote?"

"It's… about… the organization," he spoke in between breaths, causing everyone, except Gin to widen their eyes. "I caught one of the members in an alleyway near this place. It seems as if he's waiting for an opportunity to get in here because he has a police disguise in his car which I saw at the passenger seat. I think that he killed the owner of that uniform and dumped him in the trunk of the car because the back of the vehicle was slightly lower to the ground than the front."

"Who was the member?" asked Ai, as she patted his back in order to help him catch his breath.

"It was Vodka."

Gin's eyebrows furrowed closer than ever as murmurs of confusion once again filled the room. "Vodka?" questioned the scientist. "Why is he here?"

Conan looked at her. "Like I said, he may be planning to get inside this place and rescue Gin by disguising as a police officer. But the only way we could capture and take him out is if we take a closer look on where he is and what he's doing right now."

"Kudo-kun, who's this 'Vodka'?" asked Megure.

"He was Gin's partner in the organization. He wears a black fedora hat with sunglasses. He may not look like it, but he's as dangerous as the other members of the BO. We can't let this chance to apprehend him slip from our fingers."

"You're right, tantei-bozu," said Matsumoto-keiji as he was stroking his chin. He slammed his fist on top of his palm. "All right! I'm assigning four officers on this mission. The first would be —" before he could speak any more words, Gin's voice took over the whole room.

"Let me deal with him."

Most of the people in the room bore widened eyes at what he suggested, including Ai but not Conan. He had been expecting the former member to speak up since earlier. After half a minute, the superintendent regained his composure. "No, it's fine. We won't be needing your help here, Gin. We can handle this on our own."

The former member obviously didn't listen as he stood up and tucked his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I thought for sure that the police here are smart, but considering this plan of yours, it would only spell trouble for you." Matsumoto's eyes narrowed as he stared him down, but Gin kept a strong demeanor. "Just think. If you send a bunch of officers to where Vodka is, you'll fail. Why? The second he sees police officers he'll immediately escape and come back another time. Thus, you'll lose your chance to capture him." Conan smirked at the man, knowing that he's not just doing this to bring down the organization. It's personal. "But if you were to send me, he'll go to me which will leave him open to capture. Am I right or wrong?"

He looked at the officers in the room, who had confused looks on their faces. They were internally baffled by what Gin said. Even if they sent a hundred officers after Vodka, he'll find a way to escape since he is a member of the notorious Black Organization. But just before Matsumoto could argue with him again, Conan began to speak again. "I think we should let him, Matsumoto-keiji."

"Nani?" he questioned.

"We all know that he's right about what he said. Since we have a member of the BO in our side, why not use that person to our advantage in order to capture another one? It will surely work, because Vodka knows that Gin is extremely loyal to the organization. I will take full responsibility of anything bad that happens while the task is underway." Gin just stared at the boy while trying to suppress a small smile, dumbfounded that his former enemy would stick up for him.

The superintendent first looked at Megure, who nodded. He then turned to Takagi, Shiratori, Sato, Chiba, and Yumi, who all nodded as well. He massaged his temple and sighed. "All right, Kudo Shinichi. We'll let him go. But even if he tries something suspicious, I won't hesitate to have him hunted down."

"You have my word, keiji." He bowed his head slightly. "But to be sure, send one officer to tail him so we can have a look on what's going on."

"Very well." He turned his attention to everyone in the room. "The mission to capture Vodka of the Black Organization will begin in an hour. This meeting is now dismissed."

Time passed, and Gin had just received an emergency gun from Megure just in case. He received several warnings from different officers, which he just answered with either a stiff nod or a hard stare. He went to his room and sat on a chair outside of his cell. Everything was quiet for a few minutes until he heard footsteps getting louder by the second outside. He turned his head to see who it was, and it was Conan flashing his smirk at him. He turned his vision back to his cell. "What do you want?" he grumbled.

The boy went closer and handed his earring-shaped phone to him. The former member raised an eyebrow in confusion on what did Conan place on his hand. "That's my earring-shaped phone," he replied. "You can use it later on when you confront Vodka. It will allow us to keep in touch while you're out there."

He scoffed and looked away while handing it back to him. "No thanks, I can do this on my own without your pesky gadgets."

Conan made no move to get the phone. Instead, he only shook his head. "Just accept it. You know, sometimes even if we say that we don't need help, there will always be people or things that will try to aid us in our task. You get what I'm saying, don't you?"

Gin snorted. "Whatever."

"You should get ready. You'll be doing the mission in a few minutes. Later!" He left the room flashing his grin. He never knew it, but Gin actually did consider what the boy said. He stared at the phone in his hand, which then clenched into a fist. He put on the earring and the keypad in his jacket, wanting to keep it hidden.

Waiting at the ground floor were Conan, Ai, Megure, Matsumoto, Takagi, and Shiratori. The one who will be tailing the former member was Sato, who chose a simple woman in sunglasses outfit. They were staring at the staircase, waiting for Gin to show himself. When he finally went down, he stopped in front of them. Megure-keibu stepped forward. "Your mission is to capture Vodka of the Black Organization. Since we know that members won't listen to demands, you are free to use any means necessary to capture him. If he tries to escape or fights back in such a harsh way, you have no choice but to eliminate him. Are we clear?"

Gin closed his eyes. "Understood," he calmly replied. "Is there anything else?"

Megure pointed to Conan. The detective was holding a small drone in his hand, which caused the former member to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "One of Kudo-kun's shrunken friends invented that small drone that will enable us to watch over the entire mission." Conan flashed a small grin at him. "Kudo-kun also told me that he gave his earring-sized phone to you. Is that right?"

The man didn't respond. Instead, he just pointed to his right ear.

"Then I guess that's all. Sato-kun here will be tailing you while the mission is underway. Kudo-kun will relay Vodka's location to you via that phone." The inspector pointed to the woman wearing sunglasses beside him. "You can go." With that, Gin nodded slightly and turned to leave.

As they watched him leave, Ai, who was still wearing her lab coat, started a little talk with her boyfriend. "Do you really think that this is a good choice, Shinichi?" she whispered. "Letting a highly dangerous criminal go after another dangerous criminal? What makes you even think that he won't turn his back on us? He may be able to capture Vodka, but he could still escape our clutches afterwards."

"Barou!" he whispered back. "Don't think of too many negative things. I have faith in him, that's why." The girl's eyes widened. "We seem to be in good terms, and I know that he won't escape. I just know."

"All right, I'll trust him this time," she replied with a groan. "But only because of you." He flashed a small smile at her which she answered with a cold stare. "Kami, I hate you."

"Haha, I love you too." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. She pouted, blushed, and looked away, trying to look as angry as she could. How he loved that look of hers. Not only did she look cute, she was also beautiful when she feels embarrassed. Finally, the pout on her face disappeared when she looked back at him with her rare smile. "Now, now, don't be too sad, all right? You were pretty happy when you and I did it a few days ago, you know?" he added with a quick wink, referring to the events that they enjoyed during that fateful night, causing steam to come out from her ears in embarrassment.

"Don't bring that up in this place, please? It's too embarrassing to talk about. Maybe when we're alone, okay?" He simply replied when he ruffled her hair.

"Sorry, you're just too cute to resist, Shiho." He pinched her cheek lightly, causing her to melt under his touch. "By the way, how did you finish the antidote in such little time." Shiho's heart skipped a beat at hearing what he just said. Does he know that she overexerted herself again? If he did, how would she answer? Will he be angry? She sure hoped not. She decided to put a little faith in herself before mumbling out her response.

"I-I may have worked overtime… for a few nights this week." His eyebrows rose. Is he angry? Only one way to find out. "I'm sorry for breaking my word. I know that I said I'm only working for 5 hours a day, but I couldn't help it! Not after Onee-chan gave me a boost of confidence."

Conan smiled warmly at her. "No worries. Just don't do that again, all right?" She nodded without hesitation. "So what were you saying about Akemi-san? Did you finally listen to her message?"

The girl shook her head. "No, I haven't. Not yet, at least. Maybe I will tomorrow, when we visit her again."

"Oh, yeah, can you tell me how the antidote was made?"

"Ok, here's what I figured out. The drug I created is highly lethal, but it _could_ manage to escape death just by consuming water." Conan raised an eyebrow. "Just like you said, when Gin fed you water when you consumed it. I'm guessing that every other victim who haven't drank water when they took in the drug died. In fact, it's a miracle for me to be even alive right now. The water managed to remove nearly three-fourths of the drug's toxicity level. I tried to apply that to the antidote and surprisingly, it worked. I tried using it on the mice, snakes, and birds back at the lab. They worked fine as I expected."

Just then, Megure's voice interrupted their conversation. "Kudo-kun! Shiho-kun!" They turned their heads to look at the inspector. "Let's go to the meeting room! Gin has located Vodka!" The inspector started to run back to the room, but Conan's loud voice froze him in his tracks.

"Wait, what?" the boy replied with his eyebrows quirked. "How could he have found him? I haven't told him anything about Vodka's location yet!"

"Vodka was driving his car until he spotted Gin. Even if you did tell Gin where his partner was, he wouldn't even be there anymore. Now let's go to the meeting room to see how things will play out from there." Conan and Ai nodded as they followed the inspector inside the meeting room, where they saw a television showing what the camera in the drone was seeing. The three of them sat on one of the many chairs inside as they watched how Gin's mission plays out.

 **Meanwhile…**

"Good to see you, Aniki," Vodka said after doing a handshake with his partner. "I was beginning to get worried when you haven't showed up for weeks! I was planning to sneak into that station you were in and get you out, but since you're here, I guess there's no need for the stupid uniform inside the car."

Gin grinned evilly. "You think a bunch of stupid police officers can stop me from getting out? I was simply waiting for the perfect chance to kill the one who was guarding me. After that, all of them fell."

"Still as sneaky and cunning as ever, I see." replied Vodka with a smirk of his own. "Let's go talk in that alleyway behind you, Aniki," he pointed to a narrow alley behind the silver-haired man. "It's too suspicious for us to talk here, don't you think?" Gin scanned the surroundings, and nodded after a few seconds. "Head on over there, and I'll just park the car."

While Vodka was preoccupied and Gin was leaning on the brick wall in the alleyway, his earring-shaped phone vibrated and he immediately answered the call. "Tantei-bozu?" he asked.

Back in the station, Conan was still watching on the television while he was talking to the former member. "You're doing great!" he replied. "Once he gets there, that's the perfect chance to catch him off guard, got it?"

"Understood. By the way, where's that woman you sent to watch over us? I haven't seen her ever since Vodka spotted me."

"She's on the rooftop of the building you're leaning on." Gin looked up for a moment to see that Sato was winking at him from above, to which Gin responded with a scoff. She immediately began pointing to the area out of the alleyway, and when Gin followed the direction of her eyes, a sudden panic began to build in him. Vodka was now heading towards him, and he immediately replied to the detective.

"Gotta go. Vodka's heading towards me." He ended the call just as the BO member was raising an eyebrow at his actions."

"What were you doing, Aniki?" Gin immediately shrugged his shoulders.

"I just called Rum. I told him I'd be returning with you today."

Hearing this made Vodka sigh in relief as he closed his eyes. "Good thing, you saved me a phone call. So do you have anything else to talk about right now?" The second he opened his eyes, it wasn't Gin's face, rather it was a pistol aimed straight at his head, with his partner staring blankly at him. Vodka immediately threw both of his hands up in response as Gin cornered him at the end of the alleyway. "What are you doing, Aniki?!" he immediately questioned.

"I'll ask only once," he replied in an emotionless tone. "Surrender now, or die by my hand…"

Vodka's eyes widened. "What?!"

"I ask you to give up, Vodka. If you don't, you'll just make things uglier."

The man with sunglasses gritted his teeth. 'What the hell's going on?!' he thought. 'Has the organization turned on me?' His eyes flew to a person at the top of the left building, where he saw that person was aiming at him with a gun and that he had a police badge. Then it all started to click for him. 'No way! How could this be?! Gin turned on the organization?! I need to let Rum know, but I need to get out of here first.' Vodka brought out his gun and, with extreme proficiency, managed to shoot Sato in the shoulder, causing Gin to turn his head to check on her, getting distracted. Vodka takes advantage and pushes him aside, and made a run for it.

Before he could get far, Gin grabs him by his suit, to which Vodka responded with an elbow to the face, but the former member ducked and retaliated with a knee to the gut.

Feeling the air go out from him, Vodka tries to headbutt him, which the former member easily dodged so he sweeps his partner off his feet and tries to limp away, but Gin immediately recovers and grabs him by the suit again, only to be met with a huge uppercut that sends him down on the ground.

Feeling a bit prideful, Vodka takes out his gun and points it at Gin while grinning evilly. "You should've never turned your back on us, _Aniki_ …"

The people back at the station have all risen from their seats as soon as they saw Gin taken down. Conan gritted his teeth, thinking to himself that he should be there to help him. Ai simply stared on emotionlessly, but kept thinking that she'd rather want Gin to win. All the other officers in the room were getting killed by the tension.

"Sorry to disapppoint you Vodka, but I have a mission to complete. And I'm not dying until then." It happened in a flash. Gin kicked him in the shin that sends him to the ground. Vodka tries to do the same, only for Gin to evade and shoot him in the leg, causing the BO member to scream in agony. Gin continued to aim his gun at him, while Vodka crawled on his back, trying to get away from him.

"It didn't have to end this way, Vodka." Realizing he doesn't have much time left, Vodka secretly brought out his phone and, having mastered his own gadget, begins to type in a message for Rum. "You could've had a chance to live if you just surrendered."

"Why, Aniki? Why did you betray us? You weren't like this! You were loyal to —" before he could blurt out any word, Gin shot him in his other leg out of rage.

"Don't say his goddamn name!" he roared. "You're lucky I didn't aim for your head or heart." He took a deep breath. "I'm asking you one last time. Surrender yourself to the police or you won't be able to see daylight anymore." Vodka coughed up some blood and gritted his teeth as he felt his message finally completed.

"I'd rather die as a proud member of the organization than be brainwashed by your sense of justice." Gin narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what happened to you, Aniki… But one thing's for sure. Your father would love to see you again." That was the last straw for the silver-haired man as he pulled the trigger, draining the life out of his former comrade. Gin panted heavily as another call made his earring-shaped phone ring. He accepted it and listened.

"The mission is complete. We will go to your location right now," said a voice that he could only describe as Megure's. Gin ended the call and headed straight for the rooftop of the building Sato was in. Once he got there, she was lying on the rooftop but only unconscious. He carried her downstairs to the streets where Takagi and Shiratori were waiting for him. Megure led another group of officers to investigate Vodka's body and car. They called for an ambulance so that the woman would receive immediate treatment while Gin went inside Takagi's patrol car to go back to the station.

Conan grinned as he watched the mission went along successfully. But he was cut off from any further celebrations when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He turned it on to see it was a call from an unknown phone number. He answered it nonetheless. "Moshi-moshi?" he began.

"Tantei-bozu," replied the voice that he distinguished as Shuuichi's. "It's me. Is Miyano-san with you? Can I talk to her? Her little friend here at your house told me that she wanted to discuss something with me."

"Sure, give me a sec." He handed the phone to his girlfriend, who immediately threw him a look of confusion. Conan simply made a gesture to her to answer the call and Ai sighed and shrugged.

"Hello?" she said.

"Miyano-san, I heard you wanted to talk to me. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to inform you that will be giving the first sample of the antidote to you, Akai-san." Without her knowing, the FBI agent's eyes widened in shock.

"What? Why? I don't need it," he instantly answered.

"I don't care. You may say you don't need it, but there's no doubt that the FBI will have use for it someday. The antidote is in a test tube inside my room, but don't forget its cover, otherwise it'll spill and you'll lose it. Just don't touch anything else. Got it?" Before he could even respond, Ai ended the call, much to his annoyance. Now he had no choice but to get the antidote from the scientist's room. But as he thought about it, he could have some use for it as a mysterious white-haired girl appeared in his mind. But he had to let the FBI know first.

 **In Ryouka Island…**

Gin never knew that Vodka's message was sent to Rum. As soon as the BO member died, his thumb accidentally pressed the 'send' button of his message, causing it to be sent to Rum. When the second-in-command read it, he was first confused with random letters that Vodka sent but then his eyes widened when he realized what it really meant. He ran all the way to the Boss's room, having important information to tell the Boss.

 _7WO JICO5Z PO IE_

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"I hate one-sided battles!"**_

 _ **"Go and make things livelier…"**_

 _ **"We had a deal!"**_

 _ **"Go and find Ayumi-chan!"**_

 _ **"I won't leave without you!"**_

 _ **"Vermouth, what are you doing here?"**_

 _ **"They have gone too far this time…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 41: SCHOOL BOMBING CASE**_

* * *

 _ **Woah! How was the Gin vs Vodka fight? I want to see that in the anime, which most obviously won't happen. Anyway, that wraps it up for the chapter! The antidote is now completed and Gin has killed Vodka, but he never knew that the text message was sent! By now, Gin is my OC and he's not the same in the manga nor anime anymore. He's changed. But that doesn't mean that I own him for real! Think of it as a major character change guys! Another challenge for you guys! Can you find out the meaning of that code in the end? Leave a review regarding your answer! Since the next chapter is very special and it's gonna be a blast (See what I did there?), I gave three additional teaser lines to amp up the excitement. After all, it's the last chapter of the Revenge arc, which is my 2nd fave arc here in this fic! Character deaths are possible for the next one, but it's not likely. Guess you'll just have to wait and hope that they aren't main characters. After the next chapter, the Truth arc will officially start and will be the closing chapters of IABH. I'll be posting the chapter names of TNG along with the new chapter of IABH, folks! After that, the New Direction trilogy will now be planned completely in terms of the plot! Don't forget to give this fic a follow/fave and please review, cause I need them to make things even better. If this f-ing fanfic can reach 15k views, then it can damn reach 100 reviews too. Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	41. School Bombing Case

_**What up, dudes?! The last chapter of the Revenge arc is finally here! After this chapter, we can now move on to the final story arc of IABH, the Truth arc! I am certainly looking forward to writing certain chapters in the future, but I need to pass by different obstacles first! Like this one! Okay, so nobody really got what the meaning was behind the code Vodka sent last chapter. So without any further ado, this is the meaning.**_

 _ **"7WO JICO5Z PO IE"**_

 _ **= "Gin turned on us"**_

 _ **That code I came up with is called a cryptogram. I simply substituted the real statement with random letters but keep track of the repetition. There are three Ns in the original statement, and there are also three Os in the cryptogram! That's the simple secret behind it. The 7 and 5 there represents the letters of the alphabet, G and E, respectively. Now relating the code to this fanfic, you can easily guess it.**_

 _ **Anyway, regarding the other fics of the series, I have now posted the full list of chapters of TNG in the FB page! Check them out if you want to, whenever you want! But before you do, please be informed that I changed the name of the page to "New Direction", since that is the name of my CoAi series. The new username is now "new direction. coai" (without spaces) . In this chapter, the main highlight is the BO's response to Gin's betrayal and losing another important member. This is kind of a dark chapter for me, tbh… And I had difficulty in coming up with the perfect scenes. But let's worry about that later and let's move on with this chapter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Read the other chapters… :p**_

* * *

As soon as he heard the door to his room burst open, the Boss looked up from the book that he was reading to see who it was. He wanted to kill that person who dared to disturb his moment of peace, but brushed it off when he saw that it was Rum whi came in. He figured that his second-in-command has something important to say, otherwise his faith on Rum would decrease bit by bit. "Is there anything you wish to tell me?" he asked in a low tone.

Rum handed over his phone, and the Boss took it. "It's about your son," he replied and the boss quirked an eyebrow at him for a moment before reading the message on Rum's phone. All of a sudden, he started to laugh like a maniac, much to the other man's confusion.

"Is something funny, boss?"

The man replied with a large smirk plastered on his face, and then smiled evilly. "Oh, nothing. It's just that Gin is our enemy now!" He then continued laughing, bringing more and more confusion to the second-in-command.

"Is that really something to laugh about, Boss? We just lost one of our top members and he's surely with the police now."

With that, the boss stood up and walked over to the glass window. "My dear Rum… There is nothing I hate more… Than one-sided battles! Now that that fool turned his back on us, things have gotten more interesting now! Will he survive this? Or will we perish? The suspense is worth feeling alone!" He turned around to face Rum. "You still have their contacts, right?" The member nodded. "Then bring them here, we need to discuss a few things. We'll tell them to go and make things livelier!" Rum bowed slightly and left the room, leaving the boss staring at his fireplace. 'I knew this would happen eventually,' he thought to himself. 'Now what does that fool have in mind? He's turned himself into a complete idiot if he ever thinks that barging in here himself is a solution.' He chuckled slightly, and drank the beer from the glass that was on his table and then narrowed his eyes. 'But what reason does he have for betraying us? Did he figure it out? Or was Vodka just seeing things? And where is that glasses-wearing dickhead, anyway?'

 **One month later…**

After Gin's mission, nothing really changed and he wasn't treated like a hero by the police like in normal redemption stories. Even though he eliminated a high-ranking member of the BO, it got him nothing in return. However, he seemed to care less about what most of the police were thinking. Even so, there are some who are starting to change their opinion about the former member. That includes, Megure, Takagi, Shiratori, and Sato. Mainly because after killing Vodka, he picked up Sato from the building she was in and didn't just let her to her injuries. Takagi was very overwhelmed with what Gin did, but he just kept it to himself. Conan still regularly talked with him, discussing about their different senses of justice as well as peace, to which the former member was rendered speechless afterwards after hearing the boy's remarks. Finally, he came to a decision. Even if he would not speak of it yet, he'll accept the punishment he'll receive from the authority once the whole matter regarding the BO is done. After that, he'll try to apply Conan's appeals in life, making Gin curious about the "peace" that the boy talked to him about. Other than that, Gin didn't speak to anyone as casual as Conan. The former member seems to trust him more than anybody else in his current situation. In fact, whenever he's with other people, including Ai, he's more serious and his demeanor could intimidate even the toughest emotions. But when he's with Conan, he can be a bit humorous and comedic as well, much to the boy's humor. It's as if Conan was a caretaker to the former member.

After Ai gave Shuuichi the first sample of the antidote, he did not bother to use it on his mother causing her to grow back into her original size. Mary was so thankful for the scientist that she asked her eldest son to buy her a gift of gratitude.

And so the next day, Ai added another coat to her collection, even though it came inside a package with no information of the sender.

On that same day, when Conan came back to the agency for his regular visits, he was both shocked and delighted to hear that Eisuke has proposed to Ran during their latest date which was a few days ago. He couldn't help but feel happy for his friend, seeing that she has finally found the happiness she's been longing for. The couple announced that their big day would happen in a couple of years since they want to save up money. But what left Conan speechless was that Ran wanted to see Shinichi during the biggest day of her life. While he wanted to give her what she wanted, how could he turn back into Shinichi again? The antidote is now permanent and if he takes in a single drop, he'll be back to his old self forever. He then figured that this is a matter to be discussed between him and his girlfriend, so he kept quiet about it for the rest of that day.

The Detective Boys enjoyed every bit of their summer. Although they aren't always together because of their romantic lives, they make sure to spend their days with each other with fun and happiness. One time, since Hakase wasn't around to drive for the kids, Kogoro was the one who stepped in and Ran tagged along as well to be safe. Kazuko informed them that they were heading to an underwater hotel wherein the owner was an old friend of her father.

Never seeing one for themselves, all of them were shocked by the design. Every bedroom had aquariums all around it and it made it feel lile they were fishes out of water. The food was also exotic and delicious. Minus Genta's embarrassing moment regarding to the amount of wasabi he ate, their trip was something worth remembering.

Now that their vacation was over, all of them had to go to school again, much to Conan, Ryuuichi, and Kazuko's annoyance. Ai however, wasn't that really affected by it. Their group was now split because of Conan, Ai, Mitsuhiko, and Ryuuichi being classmates in Grade 5-A while Genta, Ayumi, and Kazuko were in Grade 5-B. It was the first day of school, yet Conan was already sulking, much to Ai's humor.

Conan's head dropped on the table. "Why do I habe to go through this again?" he groaned. "Isn't one year enough?"

"Ara," said Ai, crossing her arms. "What happened to that confidence of yours? Last I knew, you were able to get inside the BO's base in Ryouka safely and got out safely too."

"I didn't. Hattori and the others are the ones who went inside that HQ. Besides, you were the ones who started everything last night."

She shook her head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, that doesn't matter. Come on, don't chicken your way out of this tantei-san. If you even try to sleep during the class, you won't get any dinner tonight." She flashed her glare at him. "Are we clear?"

Conan saluted. "Yes, maam!" But just as Ai turned her head to look at the door, his head dropped onto the table again, sleep taking over, causing the scientist to sweat-drop.

The next few hours were spent with Conan trying to stay awake. Last night was one sort of a hell-ish ride for him. Ai and Kazuko tasked the boys to buy some groceries, because the scientist was planning to host a dinner party, which is something that you don't get to see often. Conan was the one who was the most excited for it. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side because when they got back, three messed-up girls started to wreak havoc. For them, at least. As soon as they saw three open bottles of alcohol on the dining table, they knew they fucked up once again. With Ai acting like a demon, Ayumi crying uncontrollably, and Kazuko being crazy, the boys figured that they have one thing to hate in life: alcohol. Right now, Conan was spending the last minutes of his current class trying to stay awake. Just a few more minutes before their recess, then. His mind then started to drift to a few events from last night...

 _"YOU DARE SPEAK BACK TO ME, KOJIMA-KUN?! AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY FROM ME, CONAN?!" screamed Ai._

 _"Mitsuhiko-kun! Ai-chan and Kazuko-chan have already gone on a date! When are we going to have a date of our own?!" shrieked Ayumi with rivers of tears openly flowing from her eyes all while banging the closet near her with her small fists._

 _"Ryuuichi-kun! We had so much fun yesterday! Let's go have fun at the park again!" sang Kazuko happily while nudging her raven-haired boyfriend again and again._

'Wow,' the detective thought sarcastically. 'I wonder when would be the next time those idiots become drunk again… This is starting to become a regular thing…'

 **Meanwhile…**

A janitor named Shinno Ukita just went out of the school's utility room, where all cleaning materials of the place were kept. Unbeknownst to all the children looking at him, he had an evil smile under his face mask. 'You idiot detective,' he thought to himself. 'This will teach you why not to mess with us! You should have never tried to fight us long ago!' He walked out of the school without anybody being suspicious of his actions.

Finally, the school bell rang, indicating the start of recess. Although the detective wanted their classes to be over as soon as possible, he didn't step out of their classroom to eat at the canteen. Instead, he simply enjoyed the silence for half an hour, knowing things will get louder again once recess is over. He didn't notice Ayumi, Genta, and Kazuko go inside their classroom.

"Ayumi-chan?" asked Mitsuhiko. "What are you three doing here?"

Kazuko was suddenly in front of Mitsuhiko. "Is there anything wrong with checking up on you guys, Mitsuhiko-kun?" she asked in a slight yandere tone, causing the people in the room to shiver, including Conan, who just brought his head up to look at his friends.

"N-no, maam," he quickly replied out of fear.

"Good!" She turned to everyone inside the room. "We went here because I have an announcement to make, and I need all of you to listen to me." Sadness was evident in her voice as she looked down on the ground and the rest of the Detective Boys looked on with great interest. After a long moment of silence, she finally spoke. "My butler wants me to go back to Osaka."

Everyone's eyes widened at her statement, while they could've sworn they saw Ayumi sniffle, which would very well lead to crying later on. Ai was the one who broke the silence. "W-why does he want you to go back?"

Kazuko looked up and stared at them, before looking away again, smiling softly. "He told me to go back because somebody had to watch over my dad's mansion and wealth there." Just as Mitsuhiko could answer that his butler could be the one to do those things, she spoke again. "He just found out that he is suffering from lung cancer, and he won't last long." She tried to hold back a sniffle, which obviously didn't work as her boyfriend stepped up and wrapped her in a hug. When they broke away after a few seconds, he stared into her mint-colored eyes.

"What do you plan to do?" asked Ryuuichi.

She turned around, looking away from all of them, and stared at the window. "I don't know what to do, exactly. Part of me wants to go back home and watch over everything." She turned back to all of them. "And a part of me wants to stay here and live life with my friends."

"I'm think I'm going to the restroom," said Ayumi, running out of the room, quickly earning everyone's attention. Barely seeing tears from her eyes before leaving the room, Mitsuhiko figured that she didn't want to go to the restroom for natural reasons. It's so she could let out all of her sadness.

"I think you should do whatever makes you happy, Kazuko-chan," said Conan, standing up from his seat and walking up to her. "If you want to go back home to Osaka because it would make you happy, then just go. But if you'd be happier here with us, then don't. We'll support you no matter what." To prove his point, she looked at the others, and one by one, nodded in response.

She lunged herself at her friends, falling in the process but she is caught at the last second as she was now enveloped inside the hug of her dearest friends. "Give me until tomorrow, guys. I'll tell you all my decision, then." But inside, she has already made up her mind. She was going to stay here. Maybe she'd return home, but only when her butler, James, passes away, so she could attend his funeral. And regarding her mansion, she had a pretty good idea on what do with it after such a tragic event happens. She would never leave her friends, much more if it included the love of her love. By now, she has completely moved on from being a former teenager and has fully accepted being a kid. She didn't even consider consuming Ai's prototype antidotes! She wasn't even sure if she could still remember the names of her former friends and classmates in school, because all that was in her mind right now were Agasa-hakase and the Detective Boys. Maybe she just told them that she'll give her answer tomorrow to surprise them. But everything else didn't matter to her at the moment, only the hug that she was receiving did. She silently wished to herself that it would never end.

White light then consumed the room, along with every room of the school. Too lost in their moment, they didn't notice the falling debris and rock around them, they didn't smell the foul stench of smoke, and more importantly, they didn't hear the sound of a loud explosion engulf everything that was around.

 **In Ryouka Island…**

The Boss, along with Rum, were clapping their hands for the two individuals that were in front of him. They had successfully planted the time bomb in Teitan Primary School without difficulty and without detection nor suspicion. "I must say I'm very impressed with you two," the boss stated. "You were able to do it without even arousing suspicion!"

"Don't underestimate us," replied Kuzuryū sharply, the boss of the Dragon Syndicate.

"My skills are far more superior than you think," said Ryujin, the last remaining member of the DS.

"I surely wish that we had more time to work together in order to strengthen our power," the Boss continued. "But I'm afraid that this would be the end for both of you."

Both Kuzuryū and Ryujin quirked their eyebrows as all of the BO's members inside the room aimed their guns towards the two confused outsiders. Kuzuryū was the first one to realize what was going on. "What's going on here?! We had a deal!"

The Boss shook his head before looking at Rum, who had an evil smirk plastered on his face. "The deal was you help me, then I help you. You helped me by eliminating one of the most dangerous threats to the organization and I will now help you by ending your suffering."

"You won't get away with this!" was the last thing that was shouted before gunfire was heard all over the room.

* * *

Conan woke up to loud, frantic sound of his name being called. The first thing he saw was fire. He blinked a few times, it was still fire. When his eyes suddenly shot open, it was still the same thing. He scanned the room that he was in and nearly everything was in flames, save for himself and some of the floor. He thought he saw a few bodies of children burning, but he just shook it off, praying that they aren't real. There was one thing he needed to do that before acting on his own. Finding his friends.

The first people he saw were Ai and Ryuuichi, standing on the doorway. The prodigy was also carrying someone by the shoulder and when the detective took a closer look, he was shocked to see that it was Kazuko unconscious. The two turned around and Ai immediately flung her arms around him while Ryuuichi simply smiled. Conan returned the hug and after a few seconds, they pulled away and stared into each other's eyes. "What happened?!" was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

"There was a bomb in the school," she replied. "Somebody planted it in here and it exploded while we were distracted earlier."

"Wait, what happened to me and how long was I out?" the detective asked curiously, rubbing his head.

"Half an hour. You were hit by a falling piece of debris." When she saw Conan pointing to Kazuko with a same eyebrow. "The same thing happened to Nomura-san."

A memory began to flash in his mind as more sweat came down from his head. He had just remembered somebody who needed to be saved. "Go and find Ayumi-chan!" he blurted out, earning a sarcastic chuckle from his auburn-haired girlfriend.

"Too late, Shinichi," she answered, crossing her arms while coughing a bit, the smoke and gases finally getting to her. "We already told Tsubaraya-kun to find her and leave this place once he does."

"Have the police and fire station be informed about this already?" he asked out of fear that nobody is out there to rescue them.

"I already gave a call," Ryuuichi said. "If I'm right, they should be down there or they're already in here, looking for children to rescue. We're standing here right now because we were waiting for somebody to show up."

Conan only nodded, having another thought invade his mind. If there was a bomb, then who planted it? It's not normal for a person to just put a bomb inside a school filled with innocent children without having a true motive. Unless he was a madman, the culprit would have just waited for the teacher he had a grudge on when he/she comes home instead of a bomb that can kill so many, right? He finally thought of something after a huge realization. "Guys," he began, earning both teens attention. "You don't think that the organization has something to do with all of this, right?"

"That's what I'm exactly thinking, Shinichi. Who else would attack even a school filled with innocent children just because for revenge? They have gone too far this time." Conan gritted his teeth in rage.

Outside the place, six police cars and two firetrucks are parked just outside with all of their sirens on. The ambulances weren't there yet, and one was bound needed to show up soon, because so many unconscious bodies of children, not known whether they are dead or not, were just lying on the ground. Hundreds of parents were outside the perimeter, with a dozen officers trying to keep them at bay from rushing in. Megure-keibu and Takagi watched as Shiratori comes out of the school with Kobayashi-sensei on his back. He had blood oozing from the sides of his face, so the inspector sent a few men to apply first aid to their comrade.

Gin, who was surprisingly granted permission to accompany them, was the next one to come out of the school gates, carrying a total of four children on his body. Much to the police's surprise, he has rescued the most number of children with twenty-eight, including the four he had just rescued. He also had been going back inside the school after he saves a number of children, earning everyone's confusion. Did he even have concern for his safety? That was answered when Megure tried to offer him first aid treatment because of the burns and wounds he was suffering by the moment, yet he simply brushes it off and denies the offer. All he cared about was getting inside the school and saving many kids as possible. Or did he have another motive behind being a hero?

Conan, keeping his eyes hidden, walked out into the hallway, earning the widened eyes of both Ai and Ryuuichi. Tucking his hands in his pockets, he turned to his raven-haired friend and began to speak once more. "I think Kazuko-chan won't last long, Ryuuichi. Get out of here right now and when you see Mitsuhiko and Ayumi-chan, take them with you as well. Got it?" The prodigy immediately nodded and began to limp away from the room.

After seeing the last of Ryuuichi, Conan turned to the scientist. "You should stay here and wait to be rescued. I'm going to find the room where the explosion came from." He started to walk away, but a strong, firm grip on his forearm prevented him going any furthe. He knew she was going to act like this.

"Let me go with you," she said. "We're partners, and we should stick together."

"No," he replied in a neutral tone, not turning around to face her. "What matters to me the most is your safety. I can't bear the thought of losing you so just stay here. If you can, open the windows and scream for help."

She suddenly tightened the grip on his arm. "I can't let you," she growled. "I can't lose you, don't you get it by now?! I love you too much to even let you go on your own! We promised each other that we'll stick together until the end! I won't leave without you and you won't leave with—" she was cut off from her statement when she felt sleep taking over her entire body. She saw Conan with his tranquilizer, aiming at her and she mutters "Idiot" before falling to the ground.

Conan carries her on his back and begins walking back inside the room, opening the windows inside. He looked at what was out there, seeing hundreds of people around the school and police cars and firetrucks parked outside. He took a deep breath and drifted to his thoughts. 'I have faith in them.' He held his girlfriend in his arms and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before throwing her body out the window with all his might, looking down to see what would happen, which he hoped not a bad thing.

Hearing something strange with the wind above, Gin, who just came outside the school once more, looked up to see an auburn-haired girl falling fast. 'Sherry?' he thought. Acting out of pure instinct, he looked at himself to see that he was carrying three children. He carefully placed them on the ground before running over to where Ai was falling, but stopped when he realized that he's too late.

Takagi, having faster reactions, immediately ran over as soon as he saw a child falling from the second floor. He lunged and barely managed to catch her in his arms. Takagi panted heavily as he stared at the auburn-haired kid who was unconscious, realizing that she was Shiho Miyano. However, that made him think about the other guy. 'If she's here,' he thought. 'Then where's Kudo-kun?'

Megure then watched as two pairs of kids make their way out of the school. It was Kazuko, Ryuuichi, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko. Like Kazuko, Ayumi was also unconscious, and is carried by Mitsuhiko on his back. Genta, who was with the children that have been rescued, immediately bore a smile on his face at seeing his best friends. He ran to them despite the protests of the police around him. "What happened, guys?" he questioned.

"Long story short, Genta-kun," answered Mitsuhiko. "Ayumi-chan and I were out cold until Ryuuichi-kun saw us and woke me up. Then we made our way out the school."

Realizing that someone was missing from them, he spoke again. "Hey, where's—" his question was cut short when Takagi suddenly walked over to them with Ai in his arms, still unconscious. The Detective Boys widened their eyes and tears start to form at seeing one of their beloved friends like that.

Conan managed to check out most of the rooms of the school. All of them didn't have something that could be evidence to the BO being the ones responsible for this destruction. None of those rooms were also the site for the bomb to blow up.

When he finally came to the last room, which was the utility room on the first floor, he knew that he had to make this quick since he won't last any longer in these flames. 'Where the hell are those police officers?!' he shouted in his mind. 'Don't tell me they backed out! And why are the flames stronger than before?! Did the firetruck lose water?! Or have they given up?' He opened the room with a kick, leaning on the wall, getting weaker by the second.

Seeing the medium-sized crater inside the room, there is no doubt that this is where the explosion first occured. He scanned his eyes around the place, hoping for some clues. But nothing could be seem except the flames around the room and the window leading outside. Having no other choice since he was starting to breath erratically and cough, he jumped inside the site of the explosion, praying that he finds something. He then saw a small strip of paper sticking out of the ground and he dug the soil to expose it. Wiping the soil off of it, his eyes widened at what was the message.

 _A gift from us, traitor…_

'I knew it,' he snarled. 'They just can't accept the fact that they lost a very important member. To think they'd actually want to blow up an entire school just to take revenge? I'm now curious to find out who the boss really is and what—' he was cut off from his thoughts due to the extreme heat that was around him and coughing due to the large amount of smoke in the place.

He continued to cough more and more, and felt that his chest was going to explode any moment. The smoke and gases were too much and he's starting to feel too weak to even stand on his feet. He fell to his knees and clutched his chest. 'Is this the end?' he thought. 'At the very end, at least I was able to keep her safe… I don't know what I'll do with my life if she wasn't. I think I can… live…' His thoughts then faded away as he passed out, but not before feeling that he was being lifted from the cold ground.

 **BOOM!**

An explosion rattled the inside of the school. Nearly every parent outside were crying. Ryuuichi was gritting his teeth while trying to prevent his own tears from flowing. Ai, who woke up earlier, covered her mouth, suppressing her gasps as she openly cried. Kazuko, waking up earlier too, was doing the same thing, except that she was prayingover and over to keep Conan safe from harm. Genta and Mitsuhiko simply looked on in shock and sympathy for the children in the school.

 **BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

After the second explosion, nothing really much happened but after the third one, someone jumped out of a window at the first floor wearing a mask and an FBI uniform, earning the confusion from nearly everyone that was just by the police cars and firetrucks. He also had an unconscious child in her left arm as he landed on the ground safely.

Once he landed on the ground, all the policemen instantly aimed their guns at him, thinking that he's a threat. He put down Conan at his side, who was quietly taken by medical personnel to a stretcher, seeing that the boy needed medical care.

The man planted her palms on her hips as she took off the mask that covered her face. Gasps, specifically from Gin and Ai, were heard as soon as they saw that the man in front of them was Vermouth.

"Vermouth, what are you doing here?" Gin asked out of curiousity. Wasn't Vermouth a loyal member of the organization? She was the boss's favorite, right? Before he could say anything further, she brought a finger to her lips, indicating silence while winking at him. The police officers never noticed that a comrade of them started running away as soon as he saw the woman.

While Vermouth was busy with the police and Gin, Ai, despite the fact that her enemy was there and having minor injuries of her own, began to limp towards Conan, who was lying on a stretcher, along with Kazuko and Ryuuichi. She could feel the tears forming in her own eyes, at seeing her lover once again risk his life to save hers. She couldn't keep it together and began to sob uncontrallably on her hands. Her two friends tried to pat her on the back in order to calm her down, but they couldn't stand it as well. All the children that had died and Conan being gravely injured that they couldn't tolerate.

The prodigy wrapped an arm around his girlfriend and she began to cry on his chest. Ryuuichi also had tears flowing, but he kept a strong face to resist crying loudly.

When they reached Conan, they could see bruises and burns all over his body, and Ai immediately lunged herself at him, hugging like there was no tomorrow. "Why did you fucking do that?!" she shrieked. "I told you over and over that we'll stick together until the end! It shouldn't have been like this! I should also be lying with you! But then, you had to fucking throw me out of the damn window! Damn it, I hate crying over you!"

Kazuko and Ryuuichi couldn't help but feel sad too, considering that he was one of their best friends. Unfortunately for the three of them, a medical personnel then walked up to them, before looking at Conan. "I apologize… But we must now take him to the hospital," he spoke.

Hearing those words just made Ai tighten her grip on her lover. "I-I'm not leaving him!" she blurted out while shaking her head furiously. The man looked at her two friends, who nodded without hesitation. Kazuko held her friend by her arms while Ryuuichi was on her hips and they both pulled as hard as they could. All the scientist could do was tighten her clutch on Conan more and more, not wanting to lose him. In the end, they managed to get Ai's grip on the detective loosen a bit, and the personnel was able to take him away, despite Ai's screams and protests. Seeing Conan being brought inside an ambulance, she broke down into tears on the ground, while Kazuko leaned on Ryuuichi's chest and began to cry again.

As the three of them watched the vehicle drive away in tears, one question was imprinted in their minds.

 _'What's gonna happen now?'_

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"He's… still alive…"**_

 _ **"A secret makes a woman, woman, Cool Guy…"**_

 _ **"We are coming, whether you like it or not!"**_

 _ **"Let's listen to her together…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 42: ROAD TO WAR**_

* * *

 _ **And there you have it! The Revenge arc is finally completed and the Truth arc will start next chapter! How was this one? To be honest, this is the most cruel chapter I have ever written, considering so many children died in this one. Kazuko is internally baffled on whether she should go back to Osaka or not and the Organization betrayed the last members of the Dragon Syndicate as well. The road to the ending is near and I am so excited to get started on the next chapter! Like I said before, if you want to view the list of chapters for TNG, just view my FB page and you'll see the post there. For the next chapter, both sides will start to prepare for the big battle that'll decide the fate of Japan! Vermouth will reveal her true allegiance, and the question if Gin will take part in it or not. Here is another announcement. Regarding the whole series, I've decided to add a 9th book, which will take place after the events of TNG. It'll be an OVA only, but will have multiple chapters. It'll focus on a certain dream-turned-nightmare of Ai regarding what would happen if she and Conan ever had a third child. A little teaser about it: The third child's name will not be revealed yet, but he's known for most of the OVA fic as "Meteor". What do you think about it? Tell me in a review! See you all until the next chap, so… Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	42. Road to War

_**Yo! What's up, everybody! Here we are again on a brand new chapter which officially starts the Truth arc, the last story arc of IABH! You heard that right! This fanfic is nearing its end! I'm gonna make the things super quick so we could get to the chapter immediately. First, I have published the first filler of the series! Sadly, it won't be the CoAi lemon fic I've been telling you all about. That filler will be written anytime after IABH is done, but since the filler I made takes place during the events of Chapter 37, I published it immediately. It's more of an omake, imo, but the only way to find out is if you guys check it out for yourselves. Anyway, the title is "Fated for us to Meet" if you plan on reading it. It's only a oneshot, but its events are crucial to the story here.**_

 _ **Next, you guys need to know that I have now posted the cover picture for TNG in my FB page! If you wish to view it, you know the place to go! And if you want to be surprised, just leave it be until the third book has been published. In this chapter, Hakase's current condition will be revealed and the question on whether Vermouth is good or evil.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Too tired to say anything...**_

* * *

The police officer kept on running away until he was completely out of sight from any of his fellow policemen the second he saw Vermouth saving Conan from the explosion. He only stopped when he saw a man wearing a black suit and sunglasses leaning against the doors, using his phone.

Hearing footsteps draw closer, the man looked up to see a policeman panting heavily. He eyed him suspiciously, but after a few seconds he stands straight and motions for the officer to get inside the car.

When they both got inside, the policeman started to speak as he grasped his own face and began to peel his skin, revealing his appearance to be a disguise. "Rum," he started. "Make sure Ano Kata knows this. Vermouth has betrayed us as well."

Hearing this made the man in the black suit, who was Rum, stop from using his phone as he looked at his side at his ally in shock. "It can't be," he replied. "She's the Boss's favorite! You must be seeing things!"

"It's a matter of time before the police find out that the bombing has something to do with us, and when the time comes, it'll be too late for us to realize that she is not on our side anymore."

Rum narrowed his eyes and started the vehicle. They began to drive away from the area as the conversation continued. "Are there any other news you wish to tell me, Tequila?"

Tequila, who just finished taking off the face mask, shook his head. "Other than Vermouth, I haven't found anything else that is worth our attention, except the fact that many children died during the explosion. Vodka still hasn't shown up yet. If I were you, I'd be prepared to take on the police force when they find out the truth behind it."

Rum smirked as he looked at the time on his watch. "All in due time, my friend. All in due time."

 **One week later…**

'Where… am I?' was the first thing that came to the mind of a young detective, deep in his sleep. Darkness was everywhere, completely devoid of any light or sound. He tried looking around, which didn't work because of the pitch black surroundings. 'Am I… dead?'

The surrounding switches to Teitan Primary School, in its ruins after the explosion. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. 'Why am I here? I don't recall going outside of the school! The last thing I remember was that I was waiting for help in one of the rooms there!'

Once again, the scene changed. He was now in his classroom, where everything was burning during that time. And what came next nearly brought him to tears.

Ai was lying flat on the floor on her stomach, with her lower half getting crushed by a large piece of debris. Acting quickly, he began to shout the same word over and over in an attempt to earn her attention. "AI!" However, no words have been coming out from his mouth even though he knew to himself that he was screaming at the top of his lungs. He once again raised an eyebrow in confusion as he saw 'himself' approach the girl and knelt down.

"I'm sorry that I won't be able to spend the rest of my life with you," said the girl, smiling softly and grabbing 'his' hand. Tears started to flow through the sides of the detective's face. "I thought for sure that I'd be finally happy with you," she continued. "But it seems that that is far from happening."

The detective tried to move from where he was in order to change what's happening, but he couldn't move. It's as if he was meant to watch what was happening right now. He started to shout frantically, desperate to save the love of his life from this fate.

"I want you to promise me something, Shinichi." Conan stopped moving and began to listen to what she has to say. "Don't let my passing hinder you from your dreams… find a girl and get married… have kids of your own and live your life to the fullest…" Conan started to stomp his feet and roar in horror at whaf he was watching. "Do it… for me…" He then watched as the life slowly fades from her when she her grip on 'his' hand begins to loosen.

'NOOO!' he internally shouted, not wanting to believe what was in front of him. 'THIS IS NOT REAL! THIS IS NOT REAL! AI WON'T DIE! I… SAVED HER FROM THE EXPLOSION! TAKE ME INSTEAD! KILL ME BUT NOT HER! I WON'T LET HER DIE!'

* * *

Conan's eyes shot open as he sat up as fast as lightning, breathing heavily. His head turned to every direction possible, wanting to see if the scene that he just witnessed was real or purely imagination.

When he noticed that he was on a hospital bed, wearing patients' clothes, and nothing was in flames, he massaged his forehead and sighed in relief. He thought for a second that what he just witnessed was true, it turns out that it wasn't. His thoughts began to drift away to what had just happened. 'Looks like it was just a nightmare, thank goodness,' he thought. 'So I'm the hospital, huh? I wonder how long has it been since that incident. I hope Ai is doing okay, as well as Kazuko-chan, Ryuuichi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi-chan.' His thoughts were suddenly cut off short as soon as he heard the door to his room open.

She walked in and his eyes widened in both shock and joy. Green eyes stared into blue ones as the both of them had tears starting to form in their eyes.

The news about the bombing of Teitan Primary School quickly spread like wildfire all over Japan. Knowing that their best friend was currently attending in that school, Kaito, Heiji, and Saguru couldn't help but be worried for him, so they each called Conan's number, but nobody responded. Because their calls weren't answered, all three of them headed to Beika, where they learn from Kazuko and Ryuuichi about what happened to Conan. Heiji nearly cried and the other two tried to keep a strong demeanor even though they were deeply saddened at what happened to their friend. The Osakan detective, feeling that they should continue Conan's mission of justice, decided that they help the police investigating the school. And lucky for them, Megure-keibu was leading a small squad designated to investigate more about the explosion. He immediately enlisted the three detectives upon hearing their requests to help in their task. After three whole days though, the school was labelled as completely off-limits to anyone.

Gin was also affected with what happened to Ai, surprisingly. He didn't want to admit it, but he silently thanked Takagi for catching her in time when she waa thrown out of the window because he knows that if it was him, he wouldn't have made it even if he did his best. However, he was more affected with what happened to the cobalt-eyed detective whose company he enjoyed having. He blamed a part of himself for not saving the detective when there was still time. If he had just put Conan's priority to him slightly above other children's priority, the boy wouldn't be in the current situation that he is in. Even with what happened, Vermouth rescuing Conan greatly confused him as well as the police. They tried to ask the former member to contact her, but Gin simply replies that he doesn't have his phone to message the former actress. Seeing that the situation was an emergency, he was allowed to have his phone back in order to make contact with the Boss's favorite. As soon as Vermouth answered to his message, Gin began to ask about what her intentions were for saving the couples. She simply replies that everything will be explained at the right time and place.

When the news reached the Detective Agency, Ran was immediately moved at hearing Conan getting injured and she instantly went to the hospital in order to visit her 'brother.' All she did that day was cry and hope for Conan to wake up soon. Even Kogoro and Eri couldn't help but shed a few tears for the boy. Because of this, the lawyer contacted Yukiko and told her of what happened.

Hearing that their son was in the hospital, they returned to Japan but only for a few days for the sole purpose of visiting Conan. Since they were his parents, they weren't able to stop the continuous flowing of tears from their faces. At first, they didn't want to go back overseas just to stay and watch over Conan, but they ultimately decided to place their faith in him, believing he'll wake up.

The Detective Boys did the same, except for the fact that they almost considered disbanding their group in order to protect the members as well as to prevent any more harm that will be done to any of them, but they refused such an option after Ryuuichi reminded them that that isn't what Conan would want to happen. Among all of the people who were affected with what happened to the young detective, one was saddened and devastated so much that it was torture.

And it was none other than Shiho Miyano.

After seeing Conan taken away in the ambulance on the day of the incident, she didn't stay for the police to get her statement about what happened. She just locked herself in her bedroom and cried her eyes out for the whole day that she didn't even go out for dinner. For the next days, she did nothing but look after Conan in the hospital, all while saying that what was happening right now isn't fair, and that she should be also lying with him, full of bruises and wounds. All that occupied her mind that time was sadness and despair, because the love of her life was in danger, no matter how hard it is being denied.

Right now, all her thoughts were being replaced by what she was seeing. Conan was awake and alive, sitting upright in his hospital bed. Tears stung her face as she felt her legs slowly give in. Knowing that she'll collapse any second, she lunged for the boy in front of him and flung her arms around his neck, pulling him in a very tight hug. Oh, how'd they missed each other's presence and touch as she cried openly on his shoulder.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her too, returning the hug with just as much emotion. But what happened next wasn't quite surprising as he thought it would be. When he felt her pull away, he looked up to try and see what made her do so, only to be slapped across the face with her right hand. To be honest, he was expecting this to happen ever since the incident at their school. When he threw her to save her life, of course he was aware of what was to come. He just had to stay stiff and endure whatever she would dish out on him.

She was panting heavily, glaring at him as tears continued to flow down her face. "YOU STUPID IDIOT!" she cried. "YOU MADE ME SO WORRIED! I SHOULD'VE BEEN THERE WITH YOU! I SHOULD BE LYING ON A HOSPITAL BED AS WELL!" Conan diverted his gaze towards the side, not able to look at her in the eye. "YOU PROMISED THAT YOU'LL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR ME THEN YOU BROKE IT BY THROWING ME OUT OF A GODDAMN WINDOW!" She started to pummel his chest, but weakly due to her crying, with her small fist at every word that came out of her mouth next. "IT HURTS SO MUCH, BAKA! BAKA, BAKA, BAKA, BAKA!" After her last hit, she just collapsed on his chest, her eyes feeling swollen after crying so much. She had never cried like this before. Her emotionless mask has been forgotten ever since the bombing. But what she felt next had her confused and shocked a thousand times over.

His arms slowly wrapped around her, placing a kiss on her temple as he embraced her. "Forgive me for what I did," he spoke softly. "It was selfish and foolish of me to do what I did that day. But I couldn't bear it." She felt him break the hug and her chin was raised upwards so that her eyes were staring directly at his cobalt ones. "I just can't let you suffer because of the organization you ran away from. I'll never forgive myself if something had happened to you." Her eyes widened as her mouth hung open, which the boy took advantage of as he captured her lips in a kiss.

She was too shocked at the moment, allowing Conan to capitalize on her tongue as he ravaged her mouth. After what felt like forever, she wrapped her arms around his neck in order to return the kiss with just as much passion. After several minutes, they pulled away momentarily and chuckled at one another before engaging in another liplock. Their had been completely forgotten as sadness and grief now morphed into happiness and relief for the two.

After a few more minutes, both pulled away and were in tears again. Except this time, they weren't made of sadness, but happiness. She brought up a hand and cupped his cheek. "I missed you," she whispered with a smile.

"I missed you too." Just then, the door to the room opened and more familiar faces came in, and Conan couldn't be any more happier than reuniting with all of his friends and allies.

 **One week later…**

The rest of Conan's days in the hospital were spent quite well, at least that's what Ai thinks. After getting a bone-crushing hug from each of the Detective Boys, he was then met by Ran's scolding as well as a smack from Kogoro. When his four best friends arrived, they questioned the boy first about what happened before smacking him in the head too. His parents embraced him like there was no tomorrow and Sonoko managed to convince Ran to give Conan a chop to the chest, since he made her worry so much.

When Conan was released from the hospital, he was invited to a meeting at the station, wherein Gin will try once again to contact Vermouth in order to find out the truth about her. As soon as Gin saw that the boy was totally fine, he ruffled his hair, much to Conan's annoyance while telling him that it's not a good move to be a hero all the time. Soon after, they messaged Vermouth and when she refused to show up again, Gin told her that Conan wishes to know why she saved him that time. Surprisingly, she reconsidered and promises to show up on Saturday to explain everything they want to know. She also told them to bring along agents of the FBI that they know, much to everyone's curiosity. When Gin was asked by Matsumoto-keiji about why did Vermouth ask for the FBI's presence as well, he responded with a shrug.

Right now, Conan was sitting on a monoblock chair beside Ai in the meeting room, waiting for Vermouth to arrive. Over the past weeks, the young scientist was able to make hundreds of antidotes ready to be consumed on shrunken victims of the APTX 4869, a feat which just made him prouder.

Conan took a glance at the left side, where he saw Gin tapping his foot on the floor while crossing his arms, getting impatient by the second. He also noticed him glaring at Akai Shuuichi, who did the same to him. Well, it's no surprise, since they were mortal enemies. But what's important was that Gin wanted to find out the truth regarding Vermouth's intentions. Because even in the organization, the woman was full of secrets that she kept to herself, and after all, her motto was "A secret makes a woman, woman.".

When he looked at the right side, he saw Akai Shuuichi sitting between Jodie Starling and Andre Camel. The boy couldn't help but notice the murderous look in Jodie's eyes and he could obviously tell that Shuuichi was doing his best in order to calm her down. However, James Black wasn't present which made the boy confused. Of all the days, surely he won't allow himself to miss this one. But the three agents don't seem affected so the boy shrugged the feeling off. All in all, there were dozens of police officers inside the room and three FBI agents waiting for a member of a notorious syndicate to arrive.

'Everyone is waiting anxiously for Vermouth,' he thought to himself. He looked at Ai, who was breathing heavily beside him. 'Even Shiho is affected by this event.' He stroked his chin lightly. 'Why did she do it? According to Gin, she was wearing an FBI uniform that time… but what could it mean? Did she steal one for herself? Or was it for something more?' His thoughts were then cut off by the sound of the door opening, as every head in the room turned to look at who was coming inside. Conan and the three FBI agents all had their eyes widened with what they were seeing.

Vermouth was standing at the doorway clothed in an FBI agent uniform, and behind her was James Black. The same question was imprinted in all of their minds. 'What the hell is going on?'

The two walked continued on inside the room with James holding out his FBI badge for identification. Along the way, Conan didn't miss the looks and stares that the woman once called 'Chris Vineyard' gave both Ai and Gin. The scientist in turn, returned her stare with a glare while Gin simply raised an eyebrow at her.

James stopped at the bottom of the small stage in the front of the room where everyone was facing while Vermouth continued on walking to the center, facing everyone inside. An officer holding a pair of handcuffs to be ready. Her usual emotionless mask was still flashed but the second she saw Jodie glaring daggers at her, her expression gave way to one that showed regret and sadness, completely confusing everyone inside, especially Gin. He knew the woman had a tough exterior and demeanor that could rival even his, but with how she's acting right now? No one knows.

Just what the hell was going on?

"In order to make things more understandable, I will start explaining from the very beginning," she began, looking at the ground before taking a deep breath. "Most of you know me as 'Vermouth', but my real name is Chris. You may think that my last name is 'Vineyard', but it's just a stage name." Some of the people, including Conan, Gin, and Ai widened their eyes slightly. "I didn't know who my parents were. I was an orphan back then, with no home, no food, and almost no supply of water. Until I met a small group of thieves who taught me criminal ways. Together, we sacked stores and pickpocketed random people for our personal gain. I eventually escaped from them because I figured out that we were doing was wrong and soon met my adopted father afterwards. You may know him as…" Everyone was stoked to hear what she was about to say.

"James Black."

What did she just say?! It couldn't be true, could it? Gasps could be heard all over the room. Those questions were the same for the people who looked shock, especially Jodie, who was near to tears. Conan first looked at James with a confused look, who was staring at the ground, with his eyes showing regret.

The woman whose name is presumably 'Chris Black' first let them take in the revelation for a few minutes before speaking again. "I know that it is hard to take in, but you can confirm it with the man himself." She pointed to James, turning all the attention towards him as he gave a stiff nod, earning more gasps and murmurs inside the whole room.

Hearing this, Jodie suddenly gave in to her rage as she tried to stand up to demand answers from her old friend, but Shuuichi immediately grabbed her forearm in order to keep her on her seat. However, even Shuuichi looked shock from what he just heard.

"From what you can see in front of you," she pressed on, directing all attention back to her. "I am an FBI agent." She pulled her wallet out of her jacket and showed everyone her badge, holding it up causing more tension and shock to build up inside the room. "I am actually the first agent to have successfully infiltrated the BO and I have the longest time in staying. I will tell my tale to all of you but I ask to hold in your emotions until I finish, understand?"

Not everyone nodded, but there were still a few who did, including Conan, Gin, Shuuichi, Megure, and a few more police officers. She considered the number enough as she took a chair from her side and sat on it in order to focus.

"I came across James when I was 6, and he took me in without hesitation. He took care of me throughout the years and even sent me to a school with high quality education. He treated me like I was his own daughter, and for that, I owe him and I love him like a daughter should to her father." After her first statements, eyes were turned towards the FBI official for a few moments, before turning back to the woman once more.

"After graduating from Oxford University at the age of 16, James told me all about being an FBI agent and he offered me to be an agent. I accepted and he trained me for a whole year before I received my badge. He gave me a very special mission which might take my whole life to complete. And that is to infiltrate the Black Organization." At this point, any anger rising in the room has stopped, more interested in learning about Vermouth's, or Chris's past.

"The main objective of my mission was to keep a close eye on the boss and any relative of his. After that, I became the boss's favorite after two years. In a way, I'm tasked with watching over Gin when he was still a part of the organization." All eyes turned towards the former member, who was just staring at the woman in front with a raised eyebrow. "When I heard of his mother's passing, James figured that something is up, so he sent me to investigate. I found out that the boss was the one who killed Gin's mother, however, I wasn't able to recover the CCTV footage of the event." The silver-haired man widened his eyes. Vermouth knew about his mother's death?

"It took me many years, but a few months ago, I was finally able to get a copy of the actual footage that night. I left it open on Ano Kata's laptop and just as I planned it, Gintaro-kun was able to find it and he wanted revenge on his father." Gin immediately looked away as soon as she said his real name. He hated being called that. However, only his mother was the only person he could allow to call him by his name.

Just as Vermouth was about to speak again, somebody cut her off. "Why did you do it?" She turned her head to see who was asking, and it was none other than Conan himself. All the attention in the room was now directed towards him. "You planned it for Gin to find, and that would mean that James had no idea that you were planning to do that and you knew that he would be out for revenge. Why did you do it?"

Gin said nothing as he stared at the boy. He wasn't expecting anyone to interrupt Vermouth speaking, even Conan. But what the detective pointed out made him curious. Did Vermouth knew he would act like this? Is it for the sake of her mission? Or was it just a coincidence?

However, the woman in front began to sweat nervously as all eyes laid on her. She didn't expect a question like that to come up. And she certainly didn't want to answer. Because truth be told, she had feelings for Gin. During her time as Grade 2 student up to a Grade 6 one in school, she had been classmates with the man. Her feelings for him first sparked when she was being called "slut", and "whore" among others by her classmates. Gin easily scared them away with his tough behavior, saying he doesn't appreciate noisy people. After that time, they became quick friends and it wasn't long before she fell hard for him. She wasn't sure if he even remembered the times they spent in school, but it was clear she kept those events in her mind. They went their separate ways after graduation and it brought both joy and sadness to the woman when she learned that Gin appeared in her life again. Happiness because she'd see him again, and sadness because he was the son of the leader of a dangerous syndicate.

Right now, she manage to fight off a blush that was threatening to show up in her cheeks. She took a deep breath and pointed to the side of her nose while winking. "A secret makes a woman, woman, Cool Guy," she replied with a smirk, thinking she prevented an embarrassing truth to be exposed.

Things didn't go well for her as Conan laughed inwardly. 'Oh, did you think I wasn't able to get you were acting, Vermouth?' he thought to himself. 'I think it's obvious why you did it… but I'll let you go for now…'

"As I was saying," the woman continued. "Things turned out well, and now Gin is on our side. My intentions are to bring the organization to its end as well as to help whoever they have harmed." She glanced at the man, who only scoffed and looked away. She turned back to everyone. "I have told the truth regarding what are my goals. What I will tell next are the explanations to certain people who have grudges against me." Tension started to rise once more. "I will start with the scientist, Shiho Miyano, codename Sherry."

Conan and Ai's eyes widened in surprise. They weren't expecting this. The scientist was hoping for the woman to stop talking in front the moment she told her intentions. But now, it also made her curious. What could Vermouth possibly say that will clear things between them? The only things about her relationship to the woman is that her parents are one of the people whom the blonde woman hated and despised.

"While I studied in Oxford University, I was friends with Atsushi-san and Elena-san." Ai's eyes went as wide as saucers. "It hurt me in the inside when I found out that they were forced to work for the organization that we were chasing after. I made a vow to them that I would do whatever it takes to save them from the BO." She looked at the ground before continuing. "Until the day came that they have made the original form of the drug that Sherry made." Tears were starting to form in the young scientist's face. "They chose me to be the first test subject for it, since they trust me more than anyone else in the organization. We found out that the contraption they made could make a person stay in their current appearance until you die. Because of that, I didn't look different than I was back then. I am currently 36 right now, even if I look like I'm in my twenties. Because I took it, it doesn't mean I'm immortal. My appearance just won't change, but I'll age normally and I can still die."

She swore she heard somebody gasp, but Ai's reaction caught her attention. She had begun crying, but she had a confused look on her face at the same time. When the noise had died down, she continued speaking. "They immediately deleted the data regarding it, because the organization would surely prevail if they found out about it's abilities. A month later, they died and I was deeply saddened since they were one of my dearest friends and they left a letter for me to always look after their two daughters. That I should always protect them. Both Akemi and Shiho…"

"Then why didn't you save her?!" Ai shouted, standing up from her seat, tears openly flowing from her eyes. All pairs of eyes in the room were now directed towards her. "If my parents told you to protect Akemi-neechan and I, you should've done that the day she died! And you could've told us about yourself being an FBI agent back then!" Her legs felt limp and she nearly collapsed bu Conan stood up and caught her in time. "We would've placed our trust in you…"

"Sherry, I didn't tell you because it wasn't the right time for you to know. If you knew who I really was back then, the Boss would lose his trust in me and I would've failed my mission. That's why I pretended to hate your family. It added to the illusion." The scientist hugged Conan hard as she cried on his chest. "I wanted to save your sister that day, because if she died, I would've failed Atsushi and Elena's last wish. Then she dropped the bomb on me, saying she knew who I really was even before I started acting cold to the both of you."

Even Gin widened his eyes in shock at what she said. So Akemi knew that Vermouth was FBI agent all along?

"As soon as I heard her say that, I dropped the act and pleaded that we could find another way just for her to stay alive, but she decided to do it for Sherry's sake. She just made me promise to protect her sister everytime from the bastards of the organization…"

Ai was done. She couldn't take it anymore. She covered her eyes and ran out of the room in tears. Conan had to choose between listening to Vermouth further or his girlfriend. If he followed his heart, he would've ran after her and embrace her as if it was the last day on earth. If he followed his mind, he would leave her alone for a while in order to allow her to adjust to the big revelation that Vermouth just told them. Feeling that Ai was stronger than she was before, he decided to follow his mind, sitting back on his chair to let Vermouth continue.

The woman sighed. She didn't want the girl to act like this when she finds out the truth, but she was expecting it. Since there are still things needed to be explained, she continued on. "Now that my relationship with Shiho Miyano has been cleared up, I will now tell the truth about FBI agent Jodie Starling's parents."

Hearing herself getting mentioned, Jodie looked up at Vermouth after being in tears earlier. What did she mean by 'the truth'? Does that mean she would admit herself to killing her parents?

"Agent Jodie's parents were in critical condition after a dangerous mission the night they died," hearing this made the mentioned woman widen her eyes. "I was 18 that time, and they were in the HQ's personal hospital that time and that was the place where they passed away. I was tasked by James to burn down their house but leave Jodie unharmed, and if I can't convince you well enough, James is here to confirm it." Shuuichi, Andre, and Jodie all looked at the FBI official as he nodded, confirming Vermouth's words.

Jodie sobbed quietly in her hands and the two men who were beside her were trying their best to calm her down. Of course she would act like this. In the process, Ai went back inside the room, wiping her tears that had stained her face earlier and sat back on her chair beside Conan. Her emotionless look was flashed as she stared at Vermouth, but Conan could tell that she was trying to hold back her tears.

All of a sudden, the detective felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, so he took it out and saw an unknown phone number send him a text message. He opened it and his eyes widened at what was shown that he was frozen in his place.

Ai turned her head to look at Conan, then she raised an eyebrow at seeing him looking petrified. Since he was looking at his phone, that might be the reason, so she leaned in closer to get a closer look. Her face became the exact same like Conan's in shock.

Vermouth raised an eyebrow at seeing both Conan and Ai with their faces looking shocked. "Is there something wrong, kids? You two look like you've seen a ghost."

"He's… still… alive…" Conan managed to blurt out. All the people in the room obviously didn't get what he said, so Megure went closer to him in order to find out what was wrong.

"What's wrong, Kudo-kun?" he asked, taking the phone from Conan, and action which the boy allowed. The inspector looked at the message, and his face flashed shock as well, because of what was sent.

It was a picture of Agasa-hakase with a blindfold on and his hands were tied behind him to a pipe. His lab coat was hanging behind him, ripped and a few several holes were clearly seen. He seemed asleep and the photo was accompanied with a short message.

 _Ryouka Island. In two days. Don't be late._

"T-this can't be!" the inspector exclaimed, surprising everyone present at the moment.

"What's wrong, Megure?" Matsumoto asked, stepping foward from his spot beside James.

"Agasa Hiroshi is still alive!" he announced, creating more shocked faces in the room, including Vermouth. Gin however, narrowed his eyes and suddenly became interested in where this would be going. "Look at this message! The BO must be holding him hostage! The sender mentioned Ryouka Island in two days! They could very well be itching to go to war."

"How can that be?!" questioned Vermouth, who had a confused and shocked look on her face. "The Boss nor Rum haven't informed me of him! All they told me was that he was dead!"

"It seems as if the organization wasn't trusting you that much during that time, Vermouth," Gin remarked while flashing a smirk. "Who knows? Maybe they now know who you are really with all this time."

She ignored him and Vermouth stood up. "I may not look like I could be trusted, but the only way we could win this battle is if we work together! Ignore me if you want, but doing that won't solve anything. The organization is persistent and they will not stop until they have succeeded in their plans."

"She is right," said Matsumoto, while clearing his throat, creating whispers and murmurs in the place. "All right! Everyone who is inside this room, there will be a meeting tomorrow at 12:00 sharp, no excuses! We have to come up with a smart battle plan in order to win this war." He walked closer to James and stuck his hand out. "I request the FBI's aid in this. We cannot do this on our own."

James accepted the handshake. "Of course, we have the same enemy, after all. Expect us at your meeting tomorrow."

Conan, who was busy comforting a crying Ai Haibara on his chest, looked on in amusement. 'Man, it's been a long day. Can't wait to get home and rest. And I need to talk to four idiots whom I consider my own brothers and ask for their help, anyway.' He looked at Vermouth, who was busy conversing with Gin, and smirked. 'I knew there was something strange about her. Who would have seen this coming? She was an FBI agent? Might win her another Oscar for the best performance!' He looked down and saw Ai sleeping peacefully on his chest. Her tears were still visible on her face, so he carried her on his back and stood up, ready to head home. 'Things are gonna get rowdier tomorrow…'

 **The Next Day, 1:03 PM…**

Conan decided to go after Ai because she ran out of the meeting room earlier. Well, she in tears and he had to once more make a choice whether to continue to meeting to discuss their battle strategy or go after Shiho. This time, he decided to follow his heart and make sure Ai was okay. His reasons were because they would be facing the BO once more tomorrow so she's bound to be worried for him and second, Heiji and the others were there, they could just relay the information to him. He went inside his house and he could hear the sounds of faint sobbing from inside Ai's bedroom. He pushed his luck and went up the stairs.

Hours earlier, when Conan arrives at the station with his four best friends, the first thing they saw were Shuuichi and Jodie apologizing to Vermouth/Chris for treating her as an enemy. But the woman waved them off, saying her and James should be the ones apologizing instead because she planned everything with her father. She then stated that she'll be looking forward to working with the two of them, bragging how they'll be an unstoppable force if they did, causing the three to laugh.

The next important thing that happened was that Gin was asking both Megure and Matsumoto if he could join the fight, excited at the thought of having his revenge. But to Conan's surprise, they disapprove of it, remarking that he could betray them and help the enemy win at anytime. Gin simply answered with a shrug and smirk before going back inside his cell, not wanting to participate in the war meeting if he's not involved.

Minutes after that, Ai arrived and the meeting started just after that. Everything was going well, until Vermouth spoke in place of Matsumoto-keiji. She first started with a general description of the HQ in Ryouka, then talking about its defenses and weapons.

Not too long after that, Conan noticed that Ai was looking at him and Vermouth back and forth a few times before tears started to flow from her eyes as she cried. She excused herself from everyone and ran out of the room. Kaito told him to go after his girlfriend, saying that both himself, Heiji, and Saguru would just tell him all about the meeting. The boy simply replied with a fist bump before going outside in order to look for Shiho.

Conan opened the door to her room and he found her sitting on the bed, clutching a picture of himself and her together close to her chest, crying heavily. He walked slowly towards her and held her hand gently. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. "You just ran out of the station, crying. Did something happen?"

She sniffled as she stared at the picture she was holding. The photo was taken during their first date, which was a day that she would never forget in her life. She let it fall to the floor before wiling away her tears. She sniffled once more before he finally spoke. "I thought for sure that the last time you would get hurt protecting me was during whem our school blew up," she replied, smiling softly. "But I'm wrong. You'll be going away again, and you're bound to get hurt no matter what. Worse, you could die."

His grasp tightened. "I'm doing it to protect you," he answered, but with a more serious tone. "I know that I could get hurt, but don't ever think about me dying. I won't let that happen, okay? I promise." She shook her head while trying to suppress a chuckle.

"There are some promises a person can't keep, Shinichi. And I've grown tired of waiting for you to get back whenever you go away. That's why we're going with you, whether you like it or not."

"What?!" he suddenly questioned.

"We're going with you to Ryouka. We can't let you do this on your own. You'll need all the help you can get. By 'we', I'm not referring to myself only. I'm talking about Nomura-san and Fujimoto-kun as well." Conan's eyes widened. "I've already told them about the meeting today, they are likely at the station, listening to Vermouth, or Chris, or whatever you want to call her."

He lightly glared at her. "Shiho, you know that I won't let you do that." She looked at him with her emotionless mask, showing that she wasn't intimadated with his look.

"There are some times in life in which you deny aid, Shinichi. But in the end, that person is bound to thank whoever that stood beside him and helped him throughout the journey. You are not alone in this, remember that. Even when you say that you don't need help, you should still be grateful that there are people who are willing to help you even throughout everything."

Conan sighed and looked down on the floor, knowing she was right. During when Teitan Primary School was bombed, he rejected her offered help and decided to find the bombsite alone and look where it got him. He almost died. What if he had help that time? Could he have possibly survived? There's no telling. But one thing could be said about that. He would've had someone behind his back who would watch over him and keep him safe. Perhaps that was what Ai meant when she said that. And after all, she has been emotionally stronger as the time flew, and her physical strength is something you shouldn't doubt. And that's where he finally responded.

"Fine. But I want you to stick with me, and only me, understand?" He got his answer in the form of a hug and kiss, and they enjoyed the moment until Conan's eyes flew to the drawer beside her bed and saw the USB Shuuichi gave her.

"You haven't listened to your sister's voice yet?" She shook her head. "Then let's listen to her together…" he suggested, throwing an arm around her in an attempt to keep her from crying again anytime soon.

Using his own phone, he found the file in the USB and began to play it. Ai already had tears in her eyes at hearing her sister's sweet voice again.

 _"Shiho-chan, how have you been? If you listen to this after I left the organization, it means that I'm dead. Don't be sad, though. I'm contented with my life and I am in a better place with Okaa-san and Otou-san. In any case that you are still with the organization right now, you should escape and get help. Knowing them, after they get what they demand from you, they'll kill you afterwards. After you escape, you need to find someone who'll help you face them. You and that person should always stick together to prevent the other from dying. Because the last thing that I would want to happen is you passing away. I won't forgive myself if something bad happened to you. When the day comes that the organization finally meets its end, I want you to find the right guy for you! Now just some random guy, okay? Most of them are perverts! I'm talking about one who has a heart of gold. Someone who's always there for you, is willing to protect you, and will make you happy. Bonus points if he is hot as hell! Lastly, I don't want you grieving over me. You should live your life to the fullest and stop hiding your emotions behind your mask. You should smile more often because when I was still alive, you smile all the time! I'm still here if you think about it, so please change for me, Shiho-chan. I think that's all I have to say. I love you!"_

By the time the voice file ended, Conan turned his head to see Ai sleeping on his shoulder with her tears still visible on her cheeks. He smiled and gently laid her down on her bed to let her sleep normally. He placed a kiss on her forehead and left the room to head back to the station.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"There's something I want to ask you after this…"**_

 _ **"Get out of here, Ai-kun!"**_

 _ **"I see that you've made up your mind, traitor…"**_

 _ **"You can't kill him, believe me…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 43: THE FINAL BATTLE**_

* * *

 _ **And that's a wrap for this chap! Vermouth's past has been revealed! She is actually an elite FBI agent who doesn't appear to age, but she does. JAMES IS HER ADOPTIVE FATHER! Surprise, surprise! She loves Gin! Weird, but I don't care. Didn't expect that? Neither did I. I hope I related everything to each other well. Got a problem with it? Keep it to yourself. And another thing, Gin isn't allowed to participate in the final battle! Damn it, I was hoping for him to fight against his own brethren, it would be unique and awesome. For the next one, our main heroes will head back towards Ryouka Island in order to settle the score with the BO! The next chapter is definitely the hardest one to write because of the fight scenes and how the battle will flow. It might take a while for me to publish the next chapter, but who knows? I'm unpredicatable and I can update anytime! LOL. A little rant here, so just skip this if you don't want to read: Well, well, well, apparently Gosho revealed some very important information now! Screw him, he just ruined months of excitement for me. I won't say much about it for the sake if the people who aren't updated with the franchise, but all I can say is that I want DC to be open-ended or discontinued starting today. That guy is seriously killing the series more with his stupid decisions. I know it's HIS work, so his decision counts, but for the love of God, I know how to make good decisions even if I'm just a teenager. I know CoAi will never happen, but it's HIS fault for creating CoAi moments in the first place! He's seriously burying the series more if he doesn't stop. I'm sorry for how I'm acting, but I needed to get this out my chest. With that out the way, only 7 chapters are left before IABH ends. Like I said, the covers for MOTH and TNG are out, as well as their chapters. Want to view them? Check the FB page. Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	43. The Final Battle

_**MERRY CHRISTMAS, DUDES! Here's my gift to all of you! Sorry for the long wait! Holidays kept me busy, that's why! So here we are! The last battle of this story! The hardest chapter to write, in my opinion! I apologize if I don't give some scenes as much detail but I did try my best to make it interesting. The battle in Chapter 14 took my main ideas of fight scenes but it's all right! The battle in this chapter is not really the main highlight, but it's the emotion. In this chap, Conan and all of his allies will head back to Ryouka Island, the BO's first base, to confront the organization one last time. Everything is on the line here, folks! Don't be angry with me if I kill off somebody here, I warned you all in the first place. Lastly, since I revealed Vermouth's real name as 'Chris Black' last chapter, I'm using it for the rest of the story and series. After this chapter, we'll have the aftermath and everything will be easier in the future. See you in the end!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I believe an idiot would be better off owning DC…**_

* * *

Today's the day. Bonds may be severed, but faith can bring them back. Missions may be failed, but hope can save it. Friends will fight together, but one can die. Blood shall be spilled, but whose? Criminals still lurk in the shadows, but will they last any longer? People fight for something, but will they succeed? Everything goes down to this. Today is the day that so many have longed for, and some that didn't knew would happen. Heaven versus Hell. Angels versus Demons. Alpha versus Omega. Good versus Evil. Whatever you want to call it, one thing is certain.

At the end, one will fall and the other will rise.

A glasses-wearing boy sat patiently inside a small room with his girlfriend and one of his friends, a former magician, and an ally who was once an enemy. They had been waiting patiently for a few minutes, waiting for specific instructions on what they will do. The boy woke up pretty early today, not wanting to waste any time.

Conan glanced around all the people he knew inside the room. Ai Haibara, Chris Black, Kaito Kuroba, and Kazuko Yamada. There were about a dozen more men with them inside. Yesterday, when Ai fell asleep after listening Akemi's voice, he went back to the station only to be greeted by both Kazuko and Ryuuichi. Since the scientist already told him about their intention to help, he did not need the pair's explanations. He spent the rest of the afternoon formulating their battle strategy against the Black Organization, and when he, Ryuuichi, and Kazuko went back to the Kudo mansion, they were surprised to see that Ai had prepared dinner for them. When she was asked why did she have to do this, she simply responded with something that the three will never forget.

 _"Don't let bad thoughts fill your mind all the time. Sometimes you have to clear your head and enjoy your life for a change."_

Conan smiled at her statement. Another life lesson learned from Ai. Speaking of her, he took a glance at his girlfriend sitting beside him and he saw her tense visibly. "You okay?" he asked.

Ai looked at him. "Yeah," she replied. "Just nervous, is all."

"Because of the organization?"

She shook her head and bit her lip. "No, because of Vermouth."

"You mean Chris?" Ai looked down on the ground and nodded stiffly. Conan in turn, looked behind him and stared at Chris, who was talking to some of the officers with them. "Are you still bothered with your relationship with her in the past? Do you still consider her as an enemy?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm just not used to it. I mean, I considered her as an enemy for many years… Finding out that she was on our side all along is kind of hard for me to take it all in. I'll get used to it eventually. But right now, so many things have happened, so yeah…"

"I don't blame you, Sherry," said a voice from behind her.

She immediately looked behind her to see Chris staring at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Look, I can understand if you still feel that I'm an enemy, that's what I wanted to happen in the first place. I needed to make it look like I was a threat. I'm sorry for that and I hope you'll forgive me. I never meant anything bad I said about you or your family back then. I would have died before I could say such things to Atsushi and Elena. So if you still feel weird or strange when I'm around, then just stay away, I don't mind." Ai was left speechless at what she just said. Did Chris just act nice to her? "Who knows? Maybe in time, we'll be friends! Just like what your parents hoped for! They always wanted their daughters to meet their Auntie Chris!" she finished with a smile. For once, the scientist saw her smile. A real one. Other times, her expressions were fake and Ai didn't really know what the woman is thinking. But right now, the woman behind her wasn't Vermouth. She was a completely different person. She was even honoring her parents and Akemi as if they were family to her. And for that, Shiho is glad. Just when Ai was about to respond, the towering figure of Matsumoto-keiji went inside the room.

Seeing a high-ranking officer go inside the area, all of them stood up, only for the man to shake his head in disapproval. When all of them sat back down, he cleared his throat and began to speak. "To everyone who is in this room, listen carefully. Your mission will be to infiltrate the Black Organization to rescue the scientist, Agasa Hiroshi, who is taken hostage in the place. You will each board hydrocrafts to get there, and you must do whatever it takes to get inside while our main forces distract them in front. If you succeed in retrieving him, you must leave immediately because we cannot risk anyone else inside the base while it is still under attack. Once you get out safely, rendesvous with us at the other side of the island, and you can either choose to help the main forces or stay behind to keep watch. You will be known as the 'Echo' squad while this mission is underway. Are we clear?"

Everyone nodded, and Matsumoto checked the time on his watch. "We are leaving for the mission in an hour. Prepare yourselves with bulletproof vests and gear. Weapons shall be distributed on our way. That is all." With that, he went out of the room.

 **Later…**

Only a few more minutes remain before departure. Conan learned that both Heiji and Saguru would be fighting alongside the frontlines and he wished them good luck after they encountered each other earlier. Right now, the Echo squad just finished putting on their protective vests and there were still a few more minutes before the rendesvous at the meeting room. Since Ai was busy conversing with Chris to learn more about her past and her times with the scientist's parents, and Kazuko was too busy calling Ryuuichi on her phone ever since she found out that the prodigy would just be supporting the main force from a distance with Megure and a few others, he decided to catch up with Kaito instead.

The former magician was texting with Akako until he saw Conan waving his hand, causing him to cancel his messaging momentarily. "Sup?" he asked.

"I want to ask you something," Conan replied and Kaito raised an eyebrow. "In case we encounter the guy or guys who killed your father, how would you react? Would you stay calm or give in to your anger?"

Kaito diverted his gaze back to his phone and stared at it for a moment before speaking again. "I don't know," he responded with a shrug. "I'd probably let my emotions take over, so yeah. I would most likely give in to anger."

The boy nodded a few times. "I knew you would say that, that's why I'm warning you this early. Don't be hasty. Stay focused on our task and that is to rescue Hakase. Your revenge against Spider and Snake can be later. We need you to be at the top of your game."

"What makes you think that I'm putting my priority on getting revenge instead of our mission?" he asked, having suspicions on Conan's sudden question.

"I just have a feeling that you'd try to escape us later, and find the men responsible for your father's death instead of rescuing Hakase. If that ever happens, not only could you be harmed, you could die as well and the whole mission would fail. Don't try anything funny later, I'm keeping an eye on you."

Kaito's eyes narrowed. "Why do you care?" he hissed, causing Conan to smirk. This is exactly what the boy wanted. "So what if I do run away from you later to find Spider and Snake? It's none of your business, Shinichi. They are the guys who —"

"Think about Koizumi-san," he cut his friend off and the former magician gave a confused look. "If your stubborness and lust for revenge take over you during the mission, there's a high chance that you'll die. If you do, Koizumi-san would be heartbroken and you surely don't want that to happen, right?" The former magician had nothing to say. "It's not just her, think about your mother. Not only did you lose your father, but your mother will lose her son as well." Kaito looked down on the floor. "There's also Nakamori-san and Hakuba. Even though you don't get along with him, there's no denying he'll be sad too. Of course, Nakamori-san is one of your best friends, and seeing you die may be her worst nightmare."

Kaito thought about Conan's argument for a few seconds before sighing. "You're right. Look, I'm sorry. I guess you can say that I lack self-control. Sorry man, but I couldn't help it. Because what happened to my dad is still haunting me and it makes me want to give in to anger, but I guess I can do it for Akako and my friends." In response, Conan raised his fist and Kaito accepted the fistbump. "What do you say we go check up on Hakuba and Heiji? I want to know what squads they are in."

"Sure, let's go." The two friends then walked out of the room to meet with two other friends of theirs. It was only a matter of time now before all hell breaks loose.

 **Hours later…**

The whole Echo squad were now riding the hydrocrafts provided by the FBI to get to the island. A lot has happened in the past hours. Conan and Kaito found out that Heiji and Saguru were part of the main force, which was named the 'Alpha' squad and because of that, the two couldn't help but feel scared. However, Saguru assured them that him and Heiji would be watching each other's backs and they'll stick together the entire time. Since they would be leaving in less than a minute, they ended their conversation with a four-way fist bump, vowing that they'll do whatever it takes to win the battle in the process.

Along their way to the harbor going to the island, they also learned that there was another squad besides the Alpha and Echo. Shuuichi and a team of snipers composes the 'Delta' squad and they'll be eliminating threats from afar.

Conan also received a message from his parents, asking why wasn't he at home as well as Kazuko, and Ai. He then remembered that they didn't knew about what they were going to do today and he jeved told them about it. Instead of making up a useless excuse, he flat-out told the truth regarding what was happening and where he was currently. As soon as that was said, he heard his mother crying and he immediately felt sad for her. They wished him good luck and safety as the call ended.

Because of that, the boy was left thinking about a future call from his other friends before getting to the harbor. He could only imagine how Kogoro, Ran, and even the Detective Boys would react if he told the truth. He was getting nervous by the second. But luck had saved him because no other calls took place after his last phone call with his parents.

All in all, they could say that they are ready for battle, but are they really?

 **Meanwhile…**

Gin was being escorted back to his cell by a random officer. He was handcuffed and the former member was currently deep in thought about what was currently happening. 'All the forces have gone to Ryouka, leaving this one guard with me…' His eyes flew to either side of the hallway and he smirked. 'Sorry, gaki… But I'm gonna have to disobey orders, just this once... You'll need my help, whether you like it or not...'

He stopped all of a sudden causing the policeman behind him to raise an eyebrow in confusion. Before he could even speak, Gin headbutted him, making him stumble back in pain.

Acting quickly, the former member used the walls in order to bring his hands from his back to his front. And at the same time, the officer got back to his feet, hands raised up in a defensive stance, ready to fight.

In very little time, Gin knocked him out and took a bunch of keys from him. He freed himself from the handcuffs and went to the armory to be prepared. After he took two pistols and some rounds, he put them all in a small bag where he also had a first aid kit ready to use. The next thing he did was go to the meeting room to find what route they took and lastly, he shattered the window of a patrol car in order to make it his ticket to the island.

As he drove away from the station, one thought was settled on his mind. 'I'm on my way… Hang on, gaki.'

 **At Ryouka Island…**

Conan was sharing a hydrocraft with Kaito, Ai with Chris, and Kazuko with another officer. Ryouka Islanx was now within eye's reach, and, following their plan, they set their speed from fast to normal to wait for the Alpha squad.

Eight FBI choppers were now flying towards the island, and inside them were both the Alpha and Delta squads. All of a sudden, missiles started firing from the island and were aimed for the choppers.

"It's just like how I said!" announced Chris. "I knew they would use those!"

"How would they evade it, then?" asked Kaito.

"Relax, we have our own weapons against those!" Hearing Chris's statement, all of them looked up to see the choppers fighting off the missiles with their own, causing the most of them to be amazed at what they were seeing, including both Conan and Kaito.

The continuous back and forth battle between missiles lasted for several minutes before the all of the choppers landed on the island. Seeing them all gone from the sky, they set the speed on their hyddocrafts to high once more, finally getting to the island in a matter of seconds.

After disposing of their wetsuits, they continued on to the back of the HQ which was in a huge cave near the rocks by the cliff, taking every step silently to prevent any kind of alert that the organization prepared. There was only one way to make sure that it was the clear go for them to go in.

 **BANG!**

 **BANG! BANG!**

 **BANG! BANG! BANG!**

And that was their cue. The gunfire has started. The battle has officially begun. When Kaito was about to open the door, Conan stopped him, shaking his head. "Let's wait for a few more minutes, we never know if it's real or not." Kaito nodded without hesitation and they all sat down to rest for a while. However, they never knew that a familiar BO member has taken one of the hydrocrafts as he fled the place with only one thought on his mind.

 _'This isn't over yet.'_

As soon as the Echo squad went inside, hordes of BO members were waiting for them. Reacting quickly, all of them ran to their own hiding spots. Remembering Conan's words, Ai stayed close to the detective, all while maintaining his safety. One by one, the members were eliminated. Although, Conan wished that he had his wristwatch, because it would be easier if it was with him.

After they defeated all the members situated at the exit, they continued on walking slowly and carefully, taking their time in order to find Hakase. Not long after, they came across an intersection with three different pathways. Everyone was baffled with what was the best thing to do. Should they stick together to stay safe? Or split up? Conan stepped forward and faced all of them. "It's best if we split up, everyone," he said, causing nearly everyone to raise an eyebrow, except Chris, who had been expecting Conan to say that.

"If we split up, then it wouldn't be safe for us anymore, Shinichi-kun," said Kazuko, feeling afraid at the thought of facing a hundred enemies by herself.

"Then we'll make it safe," he replied, causing more confusion to build up. "Chris will lead her own team down the left hall. Kaito and Kazuko will take the right hall. Shiho and Ai will check the middle." Seeing the strange looks on their faces, he pressed on a little further. "Look, I know it's not guaranteed to be safe, but it will definitely be faster than searching altogether. If we rescue Hakase faster, the easier it is to complete our tasks. Who knows? Do you all get it?"

Faces nodded one by one, as he seemed determined with his plan of action. "All right, the decision has been made! Let's split up!" They all went their separate ways as a CCTV camera from the upper corner of the room moved a little. Someone was watching them.

 **In the battlefield…**

"DUCK!"

The voice rang through the Alpha squad as a rocket flew over their heads only to hit a tree that was behind both Saguru and Heiji. They weren't harmed but the rocket almost got them if it wasn't for that loud voice.

Not wanting to risk it again, Heiji turned on his radio and contacted Shuuichi, who was the leader of the Delta squad. When he learned that Shuuichi answered the call, Heiji began to speak. "Oi! Where the hell are you?! We almost had our heads blown off by a goddamn rocket!"

"My apologies," replied Shuuichi. "We just made it up here. Not to worry, we'll start as soon as possible."

"Make it quick and live up to your name, bastard!" Heiji ended the call and resumed fighting with his comrades.

Shuuichi, who had his sniper rifle ready, has already taken out one of BO members who were wielding rocket launchers, and he was immediately followed by everyone in his team, including Jodie. They know that the Black Organization had the advantage in numbers but they had the strength in their tactics and strategy.

XXX

Conan and Ai were still searching every room in the hallway that they took, eliminating every enemy in their way. The men that were accompanying the two have all been killed, leaving them vulnerable and that's what drove them to stop rushing in order to complete their objective. They just finished checking yet another laboratory of the organization, but there was still no sign of Agasa-hakase. Conan kept a strong and tough exterior, while Ai was losing hope by the second, ready to declare that her father figure has been killed. Currently, they were outside the last room of the hallway, their pistols ready. All they needed to do was open the door and eliminate whatever threats there are inside. Conan was the one who broke the silence between them. "Wait, before we go in, what do we do if he's not inside?"

Her gaze went from him to the floor before she sighed. "Then we go back and tell everyone that he's not in the pathway we took. I could only hope that someone finds him and he's safe."

With that, Conan nodded and the two made their way inside silently. And unbeknownst to them, a mysterious person from the shadows was watching their every move.

He wasn't there. Agasa-hakase wasn't held hostage here. It was just a useless room full of boxes containing who-knows-what. Conan punched the wall in frustration while Ai fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands as she sobbed.

'Damn it!' Conan thought. 'Where the heck is that old man? There were three possible hallways for us to take earlier and we took the middle one! Kaito nor Chris have called us yet so they mustn't have found him yet! I don't want this to be a wild goose chase! No doubt out there, Akai-san and the others are having a hard time! If we could just find him, we can leave and help the main force!' His eyes fell to the scientist kneeling on the floor and he felt sad for her. Just as he was about to offer her comfort and his embrace, he heard footsteps getting louder and louder by the second.

Out of pure instinct, he put his hand on her sboulder and she looked up at him. "It's not safe to stay in this room," he stated, glancing behind him for a second to look at the door. "Look, I think somebody's coming. We need to hide first, then make our escape after. If it's only one person, we could take him, but if there are many, then we have no choice but to run away. We can't risk fighting that many. Understand?" She nodded, wiping away the tears from her eyes. "We still have hope. We can't give up now." The footsteps were getting louder as he grabbed her hand. "Stay close to me, I'll protect you." He turned off his radio as they quickly concealed themselves. 'Sorry, I can't risk making a noise right now…'

 **Outside…**

Megure-keibu, James Black, and Matsumoto-keiji were at the far end of the island, opposite to the BO's HQ. They were inside a big van, with the windows and doors open for any officer or ally to come in. The two were observing Ryuuichi, whose task was to keep track of all the squads' status and current situations. From the look on the boy's face, he was totally focused on the computer he's facing that was giving the information.

Megure looked outside to see if there was anyone coming, but when he saw none, he went back and proceeded to ask the boy something. "Fujimoto-kun, how are the squads doing?"

He checked the radios for a moment before turning his attention back to the computer. "Alpha squad is nearing victory, keibu," he answered. "We've managed to lose only a hundred men, and once they've succeeded, they'll infiltrate the base. Delta squad is still intact, nobody has noticed our snipers yet, and Akai-san is leading them with determination. They haven't reported anything unusual coming out of the base yet. This spells good news for us."

"Okay, then that means victory will soon be ours. And what about the Echo squad?" asked Matsumoto.

"I just called them on their radios, it appears they've split up into three groups when they came across three different hallways. Kuroba-san and Kazuko informed me that they have finished inspecting the hallway they were in, but there was no sign of Hakase anywhere. Chris Black told me that her group didn't find Hakase in the hallway they took either. About Edogawa-kun and Haibara-san…" he suddenly stopped in his statement, causing the two behind him to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"What about Kudo-kun and Miyano-kun?" asked Megure, confused why did the boy stop talking all of a sudden.

Ryuuichi kept pressing the call button on one of the radios for a few seconds before turning to the officers behind him. "Edogawa-kun and Haibara-san turned off their radios," he announced with a sigh, causing the three widen their eyes.

"WHAT?!" they questioned in unison.

"I don't know why, but I can't contact them. It's either they turned their radios off, or the damn things are broken. I just hope that they did turn them off."

"What reason do you think they have for doing such a thing? Don't they know that it's too dangerous to cut off our contact with them?" asked James.

The prodigy stroked his chin for a moment. "I think it's either they found Hakase and they're too dumb to even answer our call because of the reunion, or they were captured and their radios were took away, or they turned them off to prevent enemies from detecting them. Saying they are already dead is too obvious and the organization isn't likely to kill either of them at this point. They'd either use the two as hostages or they'd capture them." The three chief officials nodded and Ryuuichi turned back to the computer. "Still," he pressed on. "I have a feeling something bad is gonna happen."

 **Back with Conan and Ai…**

The pair managed to successfully escape the room even though more than three members of the organization went inside to investigate. However, they both have forgotten that their radios were still off and because of that, they couldn't answer the calls Ryuuichi was giving them since earlier. They were now running down the hall in order to meet back at the place where their paths have separated. But it didn't go as easy as they hoped it would be.

Conan's incredible sense of hearing managed to pick up strange noises from the right hallway they were about to pass by. He suddenly stopped there and Ai looked at him, confused. Just when she was about to complain, he raised a finger to his lips, indicating that he wants silence.

With that, the scientist didn't speak and Conan carefully walked down the right hallway, following the strange noises that he was hearing. The hallway they were walking in had no doors on either side of the walls. However, there was a ladder at the end of the hall and it seemed to head upwards. "What are you thinking?" asked the scientist from behind him.

"I'm hearing some strange noises at the end of this hallway," replied Conan. "Let's go up that ladder and see what's going on."

She suddenly stopped walking. "Don't you think it's too dangerous to even do that? We should just go back and wait for the others then we'll go back here."

Conan stopped walking as well and he turned back to face her. "Shiho, we're just going to take a look at what's going on. If it's something bad, we'll go back and ask for help from the others. If it's not, then let's still go back. Trust me on this, all right?"

She nodded. "I trust you."

He kissed her forehead and he smiled. "Then let's get a move on." With that, they continued on walking and then they went up the ladder. Conan climbed up first, before helping the scientist. They were now in a large open area which appears to be a rendesvous point for members of the BO. It wasn't that dark, however, you could barely see anything from afar. "Where are we?" he whispered, looking around at the surroundings.

"I remember this place," she replied, looking at the area as well.

He turned back to her. "Y-you do?!"

"Yeah, this is where Ano Kata used to hold meetings for the members of the organization. There are multiple exits in this place. The ladder in which we came through is ons of them. I think that the three other hallways our friends went into also have the ladders going up here."

"Well, this place seems awfully quiet." He took one last glance at the place before turning around. "Come on, let's go back and tell the others." Just then, a scream rang through their ears as they recognized the voice of who just spoke.

"GET OUT OF HERE, AI-KUN!"

They both immediately turned their heads at hearing the voice of the professor they both knew and loved. Tears started forming in their eyes when they saw him at the center on the other side of the room. Out of emotion, they ran towards him only to be stopped halfway by yet another scream.

"STAY AWAY, SHINICHI!"

And stay away, they did. Not only because of what Hakase said, but also because the unmistakable faces of the Boss and Tequila showed up from behind two curtains on both sides of the professor. Conan and Ai's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates at seeing Ran being held by Tequila by an arm. She had tears in her eyes and her arms were tied from behind.

"RAN!"

"MOURI-SAN!"

Hearing her name being called out, Ran looked up to see Conan and Ai in bulletproof vests and holding guns, but all of this didn't register quite well in her mind, because of all that has happened. Her mind was focused on the man that was holding her and the place she was in.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?! HOW DID SHE GET HERE?!" Conan immediately questioned.

"Wow, this is quite a sight, don't you think, Tequila?" asked the Boss and the man with him nodded. "It wasn't easy, we had to wait for the perfect time, you know. That boyfriend of hers was too protective and we had no choice but to resort to our backup plan."

"What the heck did you do with Eisuke?!" the boy demanded, his anger rising and rising by the second. He was going to break soon. "If you so much as hurt him, I'll kill —"

"You're going way overboard, don't you think, boy?" asked Tequila with a smirk. "To play fair, we never laid a hand on him. One of us simply disguised and managed to separate the two. You should at least be grateful that we didn't do anything bad to him or this girl right here!"

"Like hell I'd be grateful!" He pointed to the two "Your fucking organization has killed many innocent lives! Why would I be grateful! And now you've crossed the line by having two of my dearest friends as hostages! I'm past the point of anger! You will pay for all that you've done!"

"Is that supposed to frighten us, boy?" asked the Boss with a smirk. "If yes, then you are not doing a good job at it, you know. You should be at home, playing with your mother and father, you should know that! You're just a useless kid and you can't do anything about this," he taunted.

"JUST GET AWAY FROM HERE, SHINICHI! TAKE AI-KUN WITH YOU! FORGET ABOUT ME!" the professor suddenly screamed.

"Enough of this!" Ai screamed as tears openly flowed down her eyes. She was aiming her pistol directly at the two of them. However, her arm was shaking as if she was hesitating. "We're giving you this one chance. Let them go and surrender yourselves or face the consequences. If I were you, I'd just choose to live."

"Oh, Sherry," the Boss continued. "Do you realize just how wrong you are? We aren't letting go of anybody and we aren't surrendering either! In fact, these two are our tickets out of here!"

"You're going to run away, old man? Totally _not_ what I expected from the Boss of a dangerous syndicate."

He scoffed and gritted his teeth. "Actually, when we do get away from here, you can have these two scum back because they aren't of much use to us anyway." When he saw Conan about to rush to save Ran, the Boss aimed his pistol at him. "Make another move, boy… And you won't live to regret it." Conan gritted his teeth in anger and the Boss grinned evilly. "Now, why don't you two head out of here? The old man is right, you should just stay safe. And don't worry, we won't kill you while you're moving. There's still time, and this is your only chance. Get out of here now and save your skins, or be stupid enough to stay here. Your choice."

Before the two could even respond, Ran elbowed Tequila in the gut followed with a knee. And that is where _it_ happened.

"RAN!"

"SHINICHI!"

"Tequila!"

"AI-KUN!"

Six gunshots reverberated throughout the entire room, and the Boss was the only one left standing after everything. It happened all too quick. In fact, nobody could keep up. He looked at the five bodies around him as he held onto his right arm, which had been shot by the detective.

Ran was the first to fall after the Boss shot her in the back while she was focused on Tequila. Because of that, Conan got the Boss's arm, and in turn, Tequila shot him in the right leg, making the detective fall to the floor in pain.

Ai, who acted upon pure instinct, aimed for Tequila's heart, which killed the member immediately. However, before she could celebrate, the next thing she felt was a bullet to her stomach, collapsing to the floor, unconscious and nearing death.

Seeing the three fall in front of him, the professor screamed with all his might and closed his eyes. This got him a gunshot to the chest as soon as he opened his eyes to the world.

Fearing that somebody would come sooner or later, he took a small roll of bandage from his pocket and quickly wrapped the gunshot wound on his arm. When he was finished, before he could make his escape, a very familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Leaving the party so soon?"

The Boss narrowed his eyes and turned around to see the face of his son, who was also a member of the organization once. The man kept a strong demeanor as he spoke. "Well, well, well, the traitor has returned… I thought you were in prison."

"I still am," Gin retorted with a smirk. "I am simply lending a hand to the idiots that are trying their best to kill you."

"Is that so?" the Boss replied with a tone of suspicion. "Why not kill me yourself, then? I'm injured. You have a weapon and I'm powerless. Why let others do it when you have the chance right now? Do it for your dear mother, my son," he added emphasis to the end, attempting to corrupt the mind of his son.

Gin narrowed his eyes at hearing him mention her mother. The tension rose in the room before his eyes went back to normal size a few seconds later. "I think I'll pass," he replied, causing his father to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I see that you've made up your mind, traitor. What's the matter? Have you gotten soft during your time in jail? Someone told you? Oh, I am stoked to hear your reason!" he said in a slightly idiotic voice in another attempt to tempt Gin.

"Well, if you want to learn the truth, then it's because of that boy behind you." The Boss narrowed his eyes. "Because of him, I am now on the right path. Because of him, the person in front of you is not the same as what he was back then. And because of him, I know what I'm going to do after all this shit."

Hearing this, the Boss laughed hysterically. "My, oh my, are you listening to yourself right now? It's almost too good to be true!" Gin kept a strong emotionless mask which left his father in frustration. "Well, it doesn't matter now, Gin! He's dead and you can't do anything about it! I would like to see you mourning for his death, my son!"

"You can't kill him, believe me…" Gin pressed on further.

"What?"

"I said... you can't kill him." Before the Boss could answer, Gin continued speaking. "You know, back when I was a member of the organization myself, I couldn't kill that boy, and I did everything I could as well. He's just too persistent and he has something to fight for."

"Ha! I'd love to see this so-called hero of yours, if that's it! Let me see what he's capable of, traitor! Prove that you're not just words!"

"You know what, if you don't believe me," he glanced over the Boss's shoulder. "Turn around and see for yourself."

He narrowed his eyes at what the former member was trying to say but he followed what his son said as he turned around. The sight that met him was unbelievable. The boy that was shot in the leg earlier was standing, but there were cuts and bruises all over his body. "I-IMPOSSIBLE!" the Boss was about to aim his pistol at him but the boy had faster reactions.

"TAKE THIS!" Conan prepared his injured right leg, and kicked his pistol in front of him with all of his strength, and it hit the Boss directly to the face, knocking him out, bringing a small grin to both Conan and Gin's faces.

Because of the extreme force he used on his right leg, the detective collapsed on the floor once more while panting heavily, grabbing his leg in the process. Conan's vision was slowly decreasing by the second. He heard many footsteps coming from all sides of the place, indicating that there were many people coming before turning his attention towards Gin, who had his hands in his pockets and smirking a bit.

"A-arigato… Gin…"

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"I've… always loved you..."**_

 _ **"To be honest, you should be put in jail for your crimes…"**_

 _ **"I… forgive… you…"**_

 _ **"We'll meet again… Kudo Shinichi…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 44: THE LAST GOODBYE**_

* * *

 _ **A good stopping point for this chapter! Gin saved the day for Conan and the gang! If it wasn't for him, the BO would win. Rum has escaped with his life, so how will this affect the future? Continue on supporting the series to find out. Okay time to make a statement. Out of pity, I won't mention this reader's name. He messaged me saying that I'm a motherfucking bitch for making Gin a good guy. He also said that this fic will lose readers because of that. Well, mister, if you haven't gotten used to it by now, then you better find another fic to read. More than ten chapters have passed ever since his character change and you still haven't moved on from it? Grow up, dude. This site is for our imagination to let loose and this fanfic is MINE so I decide what will happen. Make your own fic if you can't take it. It's not my fault you don't like Gin as a good guy. And if you're not down with that, I got two words for ya: SUCK IT! Anyway, man, who will kick the bucket next chapter? The suspense is killing me! I'm gonna make a deal. If this fanfic receives 10 new reviews, I'm publishing the next chapter immediately along with all the chapters I've finished at that time. Again, it's not too much to ask and who knows how many chapters I've completed at the time. Consider it as your Christmas gift to me. I repeat: 10 new reviews or you'll get a cliffhanger which is this chapter. If not, then the next time I'm updating is the time when I've finished all the remaining chapters. It's not too much to ask, ladies and gentlemen. Until then, I'll be writing the next chapters! Again, Merry Christmas, enjoy the holidays and a Happy New Year to everyone! Goodbye… and good night! BANG! BANG! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	44. The Last Goodbye

_**HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! I hope you all enjoyed your 2017 because we have another year of our lives ahead! Forget what I said in the previous chapter, guys! I am just a guy who's hungry for reviews, opinions, and stuff. Now that the hardest chapter of IABH is done, everything will be so much easier now, guys! Starting from this chapter! Expect this fanfic to be finished before March! If not, then that means I'm just lazy… XD. LOL. As you all know, from what happened in the events of the previous chapter, Conan, Ai, Ran, and Hakase were all shot during the battle and here we'll find out if they will be okay or not. Regarding a certain person who kept bugging me about the teasers in Chapter 42, he kept on using trash talk against me just because I didn't use one of the teasers there in Chapter 43. He said I made him hope for nothing. Ok mister, from what I learned IRL and in movies, teasers are not directly used as they are. Teaser trailers are called as such because they give a SNEAK PEAK of what to expect in a movie. However, there are times in a trailer where a scene does not really happen in the movie itself. I hope you get what I'm saying, mister, because if you try to put yourself in my shoes, you will get what teasers are for in my fic.**_

 _ **Now that that's out of the way, I have warned all of you beforehand that a certain character will die in IABH. I kept reconsidering it so many times and in this chap, you'll find out if I did or not. If I did kill off a character, then let's all mourn together… If I didn't, then it's the time to rejoice! Read on and see you at the end!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I'm getting tired of this…**_

* * *

 _'What is this feeling?'_

Pitch black darkness everywhere.

 _'Where am I?'_

There wasn't anything to be seen by the naked eye.

 _'What happened?'_

Long has it been since he saw the light.

 _'Why does it feel like I just died?… What the hell?… Oh, that's right… We attacked Ryouka Island… Wait, I certainly remember passing out after knocking out the Boss… So then, who won?… Sure hope that even without me, we secured the victory… OH MY GOD!… I remember now!… Damn it, what happened to Shiho?!… Is she okay?!… I hope she is!… Damn it, let me see her!… I know I must have faith in her, but I can't take it!… I need to know if she is okay!… LET ME SEE HER!…'_

XXX

His eyes flew open as he sat up from his bed. His head turned to multiple directions a few times to check where he was. The sight of being in a hospital room is becoming more frequent day by day for Conan Edogawa. Everytime he does something reckless or risky, he'll always end up here. Well, it's way better than dying, right? He then saw somebody sleeping on the right side of his bed.

It was Ryuuichi.

He gently tugged his friend's arm to try and wake him up. Not too long after, the prodigy slowly opened his eyes but then they shot open the moment he saw Conan sitting upright on the bed. He rubbed his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming, a gesture which made Conan slightly confused. Ryuuichi then sighed in relief before he punched his friend lightly in the shoulder. "What was that for?" he complained.

"You made us all worry, teme," said Ryuuichi. "It's been two weeks since your 'incident'".

'Two weeks?!' Conan thought. 'Holy shit, I missed a lot.' An image of Ai, Ran, and Hakase appeared in his mind. 'I need to find out what happened to them first.' He turned to his friend with a serious expression on his face. "Where's Shiho, Ran, and Hakase? They were with me when I got shot. Are they fine?"

As soon as he heard one of the names Conan mentioned, the prodigy's face fell and he wasn't able to reply immediately. "Oh, I-I don't know… maybe… I-I think…"

Getting annoyed at his friend's stuttering, he lightly glared at him. "What are you not telling me? Did something happen to them? Good or bad? Come on, man! Just tell me!"

Ryuuichi gulped. "They're in the neighboring room. I think you should just find out for yourself."

"Then go get someone to give me a wheelchair cause I'm not walking out of here on my own feet!" Ryuuichi nodded and went out the door. Conan leaned back on his bed and crossed his arms. 'What's with him? Did something happen? Well, I'll figure it out myself. I just hope it's not as bad as I think it'd be.'

After Conan sat on the wheelchair, Ryuuichi pushed him outside and went in front of the neighboring room on the right. The prodigy knocked first and they waited a few seconds before Kazuko opened the door. As soon as she saw Conan, she flung her arms around him for a hug. Conan became more confused when he felt the girl's tears on his clothes. 'Why's she crying? She must have missed me.' Kazuko pulled away and allowed the two to go inside.

There were many people blocking the way, which made the detective more annoyed. 'Just what the hell is going on?' "Excuse me," he blurted out loud enough for everyone in front to hear. Everyone turned their heads to the boy, and they were very familiar faces. Ran, Sonoko, Kogoro, Eri, Yusaku, Yukiko, Heiji, and Kazuha. Something was different about them all. 'Well, Ran is all right, but there's still Hakase and Shiho. And why the hell are they crying too?'

Everyone moved out of the way to clear the path for Conan and he widened his eyes at what he saw.

Ai was hugging Agasa-hakase's body and her face was buried on the blanket covering him. She was sobbing loudly, but the old man wasn't moving. His eyes were closed and that would only mean one thing: HE'S DEAD. The scientist looked up to see Conan staring at her and she let go of her father figure in order to wrap him in a hug.

Too shocked with what was happening, Conan ignored the crying girl hugging him and his attention was solely focused on Hakase. A doctor walked up to him and knelt down to his level, catching the boy's attention.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he spoke. "The time when you were brought here, there was a shortage of doctors and we could only focus on three of you. Haibara-san here and Mouri-san over there were the only ones in stable condition and we had no idea what to do for you and Agasa-san. Surprisingly, he was the one to wake up first and we explained the situation to him. That's when he… ordered us to give you treatment and just leave him until you were finished. We tried to reason that there could be another way but he forced us. We had no choice and went on with your surgery. But by the time you reached stable condition, he has already passed away." Conan's eyes widened even more. "You could say that he sacrificed his life to save you. We are truly sorry."

'No way!' Tears started forming in his eyes. 'His life for mine?! Damn it, why?! Why, you old man?! Why did you do that?! You still had many years of your life!" He hugged his lover back as he began to sob as well.

The funeral was held a few days later. At first, Conan refused to write a eulogy as he believes it was his fault that Hakase died. But he was eventually convinced when Ai told him to do it. Not only him, his father, Kazuko, and Ran have also decided to write their own eulogies.

The event itself was slow and devoid of any emotion at first, but eventually gave in to sadness as soon as the four selected people each told their eulogies for the man inside the white coffin. Not too many people attended the funeral, and only the ones who are close to Hakase went to the cemetery. Surprisingly, Ai managed to resist crying throughout the whole event, something that Conan thought she wouldn't be able to do.

When the time for the coffin to be now buried, each person dropped their own flowers in honor for the dead man. Ai was the only one who had something different. Instead of a flower, she dropped a picture of her and Hakase, which was taken a few months back, in order to symbolize the bond they shared as father and daughter.

As soon as the picture touched the coffin, her tears started flowing, while whispering something she should have said long ago.

"I've… always… loved… you… otou-san…" The next thing she felt was Conan's warm hand on her shoulder and she cried on his chest. The detective let her, because this is truly the time to let out their sadness. One thing was planted in the detective's head, though.

'What'll happen now?'

 **Weeks later…**

The wounds left by Hakase's passing are still fresh, with some still sulking and grieving, but life had begun to slowly rebuild for our heroes.

It all started after the funeral. Everyone who was involved in the climactic battle against the Black Organization were summoned for a meeting at Beika Station. It was there that Matsumoto-keiji and James Black honored and paid respects to those who have died in order to secure the safety of many lives, even promising to give all of them proper funerals. Soon after, they began praising certain individuals who have shown more effort and determination during the battle. Shuuichi, Chris, Jodie, Heiji, and Saguru are one of the few.

The real purpose of the meeting was to enlighten the spirits of the people who were still in pain with dealing with all the bad things that have happened. Immediately after that, a small celebration was held to symbolize their victory. For Conan, everything should be back to the way it was. Of course, he was sad and was heavily affected by what happened to Agasa-hakase, the man was like a father to him and the Detective Boys, for god's sake. However, he knew to himself that grieving for the man won't change anything and that he should just accept and move on. He knows that he should just be grateful for Agasa-hakase for the second chance at life that he received. The incidents that occured to him in the past were not nearly as fatal as to what happened to him just recently. He almost died of blood loss, right? But Hakase was there to save his world. He wanted everything to be back since there were no more threats nor danger. Yet that wasn't what he got. Sure, everyone was celebrating and having fun but that didn't apply to everyone.

And it was obvious who was the one still burdened by the loss.

Shiho Miyano has mastered the art of concealing emotions. As Ai Haibara, she would show at least a little bit of what she really feels, but when she is her own self, it's almost impossible to see through her. Would she be willing to give all that up? Look at her, she's an emotional wreck. The thought of losing her beloved Shinichi could make her worry by a mile, but losing the man she considered as a father never came to her. Recently, she was so focused on Conan that she had forgotten how sad she was because of Hakase. Like other times, she would shoulder the blame for everyone and just suffer. Life's a bitch… For her, at least. Since the world is a dangerous place, Shinichi could die anytime. She loves him, but the thought of losing him as well would be too much. She knew to herself that this shouldn't be happening, but that was enough to make her consider committing suicide.

This time, it was real.

But she knows Conan won't allow her.

However, he's not blind to what he observes and infer.

She always knew that this day would come, so during a sunny Wednesday morning, she brought out a piece of rope from under her bed. She always kept it there because of certain reasons other than killing herself. Since she knew that Conan will act fast in order to prevent her from killing herself, she made sure to wake up early one morning to get it done.

She was in the kitchen that time, holding the rope that she had always kept hidden. She actually had second thoughts about it, fearing how would Conan react to what will happen to her. Instead of just resisting, she instead chose to give in as she cannot take any more loss. She needed to do this. To keep Shinichi safe. To keep the Detective Boys safe. To keep the world safe.

All of a sudden, she heard footsteps getting louder and louder by the second. She hid the rope in her pocket immediately, not letting anyone see it. She turned around to see Conan standing there. Of all the times, he was here?! How would she end her agony now?

The first thing that Conan did was asking her if she had any temporary antidotes for the APTX, which had her confused. Why would he ask for that? Did he need to go somewhere? She shook her head but tells him that she could make one for him in her lab at the station. After all, the permanent was now complete and it was now easy as one-two-three in making a temporary one.

They went to the station and Conan told her to make two antidotes. Now this got her really confused. What was the other one for? Was he planning to use the another some other time? She got an answer to her question when the detective told her that they're going on another date and that they need to be in their original bodies. When she asked why would they do such a thing, he answered that if they do go on this date, it would help alleviate the pain and sadness in her heart. He pointed out that she has been acting odd for the past few days.

'That's a lie!' she thought. She was confident that the sadness will never leave her and that was why she wants to end her life. As much as she would want to decline the date, she couldn't help but think about what would it be like to live her last day on Earth as a happy woman. Oh well, it won't hurt to go on one more date with the man she loves… right?

The two went to the station and Ai was able to make two temporary antidotes in a span of minutes. They both consumed it at the same time, and once again, they were back in their original bodies. Shiho was expecting them to go the movies or the amusement park, or even eat at a restaurant, but today really confused her.

They went first to the Detective Agency, where Shinichi told his lover that he has something to say to Ran and she should just wait for him outside. She shrugged and simply did what she was told until she saw Shinichi go outside with Ran.

She had no time to react, and now she stared at Shinichi's childhood friend eye to eye. She wasn't ready to meet her personally yet. Did he do this on purpose? Oh, she'll kill him later on if he did. If she had saw this coming, she would've hidden and Ran won't see her, but it was too late.

Seeing the auburn-haired girl in front of her tense visibly, Ran stuck out her hand to try and calm her down. She then introduced herself and waited for the girl to say her name. But she didn't answer.

Shiho's eyes shot open when she heard him say her name. HER REAL NAME. "She's Miyano Shiho, my girlfriend," he plainly stated. What the hell was Shinichi thinking?! Is he trying to get her in trouble or something? That does it. She's going to kill him. But what happened next was unexpected.

Ran grabbed her hand and shook it repeatedly, while saying that she was glad to finally meet Shinichi's girlfriend and that she was very beautiful, more beautiful than even herself, causing the scientist to blush in embarrassment.. Next, she started to compare Shiho to Conan's friend, Ai Haibara which caused the scientist to sweat nervously. All she could do was close her eyes and pray that Ran doesn't get any suspicions. But little did she know that what happens next would be different than what she had expected.

The sun was setting down, and the two of them were sitting on a bench at the park. Shinichi was staring at the beautiful scenery while Shiho's mind was filled with the events that happened the whole day. Should the word 'date' be even used to describe what Shinichi and her did? They didn't even have any romantic or sweet moments, he literally just introduced her to every friend they had in Beika. After he introduced her to Ran, the three of them went out for lunch where Ran learned more about Shiho, and all the scientist could do was pray and hope she doesn't get found out. It wasn't just Ran, he also introduced her to Sonoko, Genta, Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, Kogoro, and Eri. Why did he do this? Not only that, she also thought that her real identity would be exposed, but no. In fact, instead of who she really was, all the people they encountered assumed that she was related to Ai Haibara due to their appearance. They told the two of their opinions of Ai Haibara at seeing somebody related to the girl. Most of them remarked that she was sweet and a bit sarcastic. Not that it was bad, she was actually flattered by it. She felt relieved and complemented by everyone's appeals on Ai Haibara. She was the little girl too, anyway.

Realization struck her and it hit her like a ton of bricks. So this is why Shinichi asked her out on another date. He was trying to show her how many people care about her. He was trying to give her a reason to live. If she died, not only Shinichi would be sad, a lot of people would mourn for her. She should've seen this coming. She underestimated him again. Seems like she was far too important to him that he didn't want to lose her.

She began to sob as she brought out the rope that she had hidden all along. She stared at it for a moment, before throwing it away out into the open, not wanting to see it again. Conan turned to look at her, only to see her in tears. He was waiting for this. He had planned all of this thoroughly, the antidotes, the date, introducing her to Ran, and everything else. It's as if he knew what was going on in her mind. Unlike other times, where he would comfort her whenever she was crying, he simply let her. He'll just be waiting for the right moment to finally show her his embrace and love.

She lunged herself at him and threw her arms around his neck. She kept on repeating that she was sorry for being an idiot and being too fast to resort to a last effort. She kept on apologizing for having suicide thoughts again but he immediately forgave her, stating that she simply needed assurance and time to herself. He also claimed that it was natural for her to blame herself for what happened to Hakase, seeing that she was the daughter that the man never wanted.

After a minute or so spend because of crying, Shinichi once again decided to push his luck more. He asked her once more if she wants to go on a date again. A real date, treating the event that just happened was nothing more than a sad memory that needed to be forgotten.

Her heart fluttered as she smiled through her tears and nodded repeatedly. She couldn't stop herself from smiling as they stood up and left, hand in hand.

XXX

It was 7:36 in the morning and they were currently at the airport. Gin and Chris had their luggages ready for their departure. They were accompanied by Conan, Ai, Megure, Ryuuichi, Kazuko, Shuuichi, James, and Jodie. Just last night, Conan received a message from Megure-keibu, telling him to go to the airport tomorrow morning because of a very important farewell. Right now, the inspector was raising an eyebrow at Gin's luggage in confusion, as well as everyone else, and so he spoke first to clear things.

"To be honest, you should be put in jail for your crimes," said Megure in a serious tone as Gin stared on. "The reason you were pardoned was because you played an important role in defeating the Black Organization as well as becoming a major factor during the battle itself, even though you weren't allowed to participate. For that, we are grateful and we couldn't have won without you." Gin nodded. "But don't forget that a few of the police here, some members of the FBI, and Kudo-kun's appeals played a big part in it too." The former member nodded for a second time. "Just don't do anything that will turn people against you again, otherwise you'll be sent back to jail."

Gin bowed slightly, trying to hide a smile. This was a second chance. He could finally show the kind person he knows he is underneath. "Thanks," he replied in a blank tone. "I appreciate it."

"Since you're a free man now, we already have an apartment space in Beika for you to live in so you can start anew with your life." Gin then shook his head, much to the inspector's surprise.

"I've decided to leave the country. I want to start a new life, but not here. Which is why I also came along to tag with Vermouth in leaving." Everyone then turned to the blonde FBI agent, who only flashed an eye-smile to respond.

Conan spoke next, turning everyone's attention towards him. "Where will you go?"

Gin shrugged. "Who knows? I can settle anywhere I like. I have the money, anyway." Conan's confused face never left him and because of that, the former member sighed in slight annoyance. "Look, all I know to myself is that if I stay here, new threats will rise and I will be the reason if they do show up."

"What do you mean, 'new threats'?" asked Megure, raising an eyebrow.

"This war isn't over. The organization was just one thing. They are not the only ones you need to watch out for. My father had many business partners during his lifetime and many of them are leaders of criminal syndicates too. I don't know who they are but I will find out, one way or another."

"Didn't your father ever tell you about those men?"

"What would you expect from him?" Gin replied in a slightly heightened voice, getting annoyed at the idiocy of the inspector. "Even if he was my father, of course he'd hide that secret from me." Megure simply nodded to show that he understood what he said. "Anyway, because of that, I've decided to join the CIA." Everyone, including Chris, widened their eyes at what they just heard.

"W-why?" asked Chris out of disbelief.

Gin crossed his arms and took a deep breath. "Like I said, my father liked keeping his secrets to himself. Even if I was a loyal member back then, he still couldn't entrust me with his deepest secrets. I've decided to further investigate about him and dig deeper into my family, since the only person I've ever been close to was my mother. To do that, I will be needing help and that is the reason why I've come to this decision. I will also change my last name to prevent anyone from ever knowing who I really am. In turn," he looked at everyone. "I'll keep in touch and inform you all of anything I find that will be crucial to preventing any more trouble and crimes throughout Japan, and maybe the whole world. In short, we can stop future syndicates and enemies from ever threatening our peace if we work together."

Everyone was left speechless at what Gin just said. He just revealed his plan to secure the safety and peace of Japan and the world for the future. Almost everyone flashed a faint smile at what they just heard from him. He certainly wasn't the same sadistic, and treacherous criminal they once knew. He has changed completely. And this time, many can confirm it.

Seeing many of the people around him smile, it made the former member suppress a smile that was slowly creeping its way to his face. He never thought the day would come that he'd get the chance to redeem himself of his sins. However, his supposed smile had no chance of showing as soon as he saw the face of Ai Haibara.

Her face clearly showed sadness, and she was looking down on the ground. Her bangs covered her eyes, but Gin could definitely point out what was she feeling. Is she sad because he was absolved of his sins? Did she want him to rot in jail? It had to be. He was her sister's murderer, after all. His face turned to a more serious one as he began to speak once more.

"S-Shiho," he began and everyone could tell that Ai shivered upon hearing Gin say her name. The girl didn't move her look away from the floor. "I-I'm not asking you to forgive me, I don't deserve your forgiveness."

Tears begun welling up in the scientist's face as he continued. "But I'm sorry for what I did to your sister. I'm a monster for what I did and I'll never absolve myself of it but I tell you the truth, I did regret it afterwards." Everyone could now hear the girl's sniffling. "I-If I had just known that time that my father was lying to me all along, Akemi would've never died. I just wanted revenge for what happened to my mother, and I was wrong for directing that revenge towards an innocent woman." Ai's fists tightly clenched and Gin didn't miss this. All he could do was look at her in sympathy and regret. "Like I said, I'm not asking for your forgiveness… I just want you to understand why I did it." He grabbed his luggage and turned to all of them. "Farewell." He turned around to be on his way but before he could do so, a voice immediately stopped him in his tracks.

"I… forgive… you…"

Gin turned around to see Ai looking up at him with fresh tears trickling down her face. Everyone lightly gasped at hearing her statement and the former member threw her a look of confusion. She wiped the tears from her eyes and faintly smiled before continuing to speak. "I forgive you," she repeated and Gin widened his eyes. "And I'm sure… Onee-chan… forgives you too…"

He couldn't believe it. This should be beyond reality. The girl whom he assumed despised him the most actually forgave him even though he killed the most important person in her life. He wanted to tell her to take it back and reason that he didn't want to be forgiven, but that won't do any good. He knows that he should just accept it and live the life he wanted to. He had to prevent a tear from coming out, as he didn't want to look weak. Instead, he smiled warmly at her that showed his reaction.

Conan grinned at his lover and inwardly smirked at seeing Gin's reaction. 'She finally let go of the past…' he thought. He was momentarily cut off from his thoughts when he saw Gin was staring at him. At first he thought he was trying to intimidate him but that thought was forgotten when the former member suddenly grinned.

"We'll meet again, Kudo Shinichi."

Conan flashed a grin of his own. "Likewise."

With that, Gin turned to Chris and nodded, before grabbing his luggage and walking away. The woman took one last look at Ai and smiled, before waving her hand goodbye. "I'll see you soon, Shiho-chan! When I get back, I promise to be your legal guardian since I'm the closest friend of your parents!" she said. In response, everyone waved their arms too as she began to follow Gin towards their designated plane.

Shiho wouldn't admit it, but what Chris said kind of made her excited. She would be her legal guardian? Is this what her parents would want for her? If so, then thank the gods for that. She has been enjoying talking to Chris every now and then, which first started before their last battle with the BO. She has been always eager to listen to the woman's stories and memories about her parents and her sister when she was little. And now, she can't help but shed a few tears of happiness for her future.

As soon as Gin and Chris were out of their field of vision, the whole group turned and walked the opposite way, ready to head home. Conan wrapped an arm around his auburn-haired girlfriend and brought her closer to him. "You seem pretty happy," he started, noticing the smile on Ai's face. "What got you to smile?"

"Because of you," she replied sarcastically. "You look like you just came out of a pigpen."

"I'm serious, okay? I don't have time for sarcasm with you, Shiho."

She threw up her hands. "Okay, okay. Jeez, I was just kidding." She smirked at his behavior. "And to answer your question, I was just happy at the thought of Chris as a mother figure to me. I'm a little excited. And it's quite ironic, because I considered her an enemy once."

"Well, it's still a long time before we'll get to see the two of them again, I can tell." They momentarily stopped talking to get inside Megure's patrol car, so they can go home. "I can't help but feel that I'm sort of gonna miss them."

"Aaww, are you gonna cry, you big baby?" she said with a snicker, earning a sigh from Conan because of her attitude.

"Anyway, can you still make me a temporary antidote?"

She raised an eyebrow which then transitioned to a smirk. "Why? Are we going on a date again?"

"No, I just need it to attend to something that needs my presence. Kudo Shinichi's presence. It's still a long time before it happens, but I have to have an antidote ready. Trust me, it'll be the last time I'm going to use one. I'll tell you more about it when the time comes, but I need to know. Can you make one for me?"

She shrugged. "Of course."

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Where's Conan-kun?"**_

 _ **"Thank you… for making her happy…"**_

 _ **"You're back!"**_

 _ **"We can't hide it forever…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 45: RAN'S HAPPY ENDING**_

* * *

 _ **And that's a wrap for this chap! Hakase is gone because he risked his own life for Conan's! Just like how a father would do for his son! OH, THE HORROR! Damn it, I really didn't want to kill him off, but trust me, his passing will be crucial for the buildup and the events towards 'The Next Generation'. Sorry if I didn't give too much detail for the funeral, because it's not that important. I also don't have an idea on how to make the four eulogies unique from each other, because I think they'll simply be the same in terms of topic. Other than that, Gin has been pardoned for his crimes and is now a free man! Ain't that a relief? Shiho has also forgiven him! It'd be a miracle if that really happened in the franchise! He's temporarily saying goodbye for now along with Vermouth, but they'll make their return in TNG. He'll be joining the CIA and further investigate more about his family's heritage! So don't worry Gin fans, he'll be back. Did I do good with him being a good guy starting from Chapter 28 up to here? Leave a review regarding that, will ya? For the next chapter, after a long timeskip, Ran and Eisuke's wedding will be taking place and Shinichi will return for the final time in IABH and my universe. Well, that's not entirely true, because Conan WILL grow up normally and he'll look like his old self again. However, his name will ONLY be Conan Edogawa when that happens. I guess that's it so see you all in the next chap. Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	45. Ran's Happy Ending

_**Here we are again in a brand new chapter of 'I'll Always Be Here'! The Truth arc is still underway since it is the last story arc, however the remaining chapters are all about the aftermath of the battle in Chapter 43. First, we'll start with Ran's wedding! Okay, to be honest, I didn't really want to create a solo chapter to be all about Ran, I'd rather have a chapter about Kaito and Akako instead. But, given the circumstances, Ran has been pretty much left alone in this fanfic, and I want to make it up for the poor character. Be warned that after the timeskip, some characters will be pretty much OOC, especially Ai because it's hard to put yourself in her shoes due to her personality. Another important note to take notice is that I'll be changing Gin's name for the rest of the series, and I mean his full name. But there will be only a few characters who will still refer to him as 'Gin', including Ai. I'll start referring to him using his new name next chapter, and for now, we'll stick with 'Gin'.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Don't ask… _**_

* * *

 **Two Years Later…**

Many things have changed since then. Not only for Conan, Ai, Kazuko, or Ryuuichi, but for everyone else as well. If they could describe their current condition at this point, you could say that everything is going well. With every turn and twist in the events of everyone's lives, they still stood strong and endured the hardships. The Black Organization was finally defeated, and peace ruled over Japan once more. Well, that wasn't entirely true, there were still times when detectives are to be called upon for help with either a murder, arson, or kidnapping, and those people were not just Kogoro, Heiji, Saguru, or even Kaito.

Conan (who is now at the age of 9, biologically 20), along with his friends, the Detective Boys, have become quite popular throughout Japan, which is quite amazing since they were all still kids. Their rise to fame, according to Kazuko, started during a party a year ago at Haido Hotel which was attended by not only Japanese stars, but international stars as well. Only the Detective Boys were invited by Conan's mom, Yukiko, who was a VIP of the event. Like the kids that they were, Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko all ran about and enjoyed the party in whatever way they can, while the other four just stayed in one place, wanting to avoid any ruckus that they're friends could possibly make.

Chris managed to attend in her 'Chris Vineyard' persona and, quite ironic actually, Ai greeted her with a big hug as soon as she saw her 'mother', which greatly surprised Ryuuichi and Kazuko, but not Conan. And what's even more surprising is that not too long after Chris left with Gin, the scientist started referring to her as 'kaa-san', since the woman will be adopting her soon. But she kept this fact hidden from her friends, using only that reference when she was alone with Chris. It was at that point that Shiho had completely moved on from her rough past with the woman and has accepted her as both a friend, an ally, and a mother.

After the brief reunion, Conan asked for Gin's whereabouts, wanting to know so that he could at least say hello or greet him after months of not meeting or communicating, to which Chris responds that the former member has legally changed his name a few months back, and is now known as 'Allen Jones'; his reason for doing it is because of his desire to move on from his own dark past. Afterwards, she tells the detective her motto, saying that Gin doesn't want anyone to know where he was… yet. She also revealed that he was now a full-fledged CIA agent, fulfilling his promise a few months back.

Their reunion didn't last for long, sadly. While all of them were enjoying the event, a bomb suddenly went off in one of the floors below where they were, and the evacuation of all the people inside the building was the priority. Chris remarks that she was feeling lazy and she doesn't feel like rescuing people tonight. She starts to walk back to the apartment she was staying in, leaving the fate of all the people to the Detective Boys.

That was the night where the seven children managed to rescue over a hundred people trapped in the building. There was no telephone that can be used and everyone was too scared to make a call during that time due to the fire. In a desperate attempt to save themselves, Ryuuichi managed to make a distress call to the nearest station using only Conan's upgraded tracking glasses (which can now project a holographic map), his earring-shaped phone, and a small antenna, while the cobalt-eyed detective ran off to find the culprit.

It took nearly two hours to put out the flames, but nobody was seriously injured that time. The culprit was caught and this was the time where all of the people who attended the party praised the Detective Boys for their efforts and teamwork. Conan had a hunch that this would eventually lead to popularity, and he tried to reject any possibility of that happening by ignoring the press, but was stopped by Ai, saying that he should enjoy it otherwise he won't be getting any dinner for that night.

After that incident, the Detective Boys had become a hot topic throughout the country, even surpassing Kogoro's popularity at one point, something that the old man didn't like and something which got Kaito, Heiji, and Saguru to tease their friend again. Because of this, more and more people sent help requests to the group, which they try to respond to as hard as they can. For them, their life as detectives couldn't get any better with their newfound popularity, something which a glasses-wearing boy disagrees on.

Agasa-hakase's house begun its reconstruction a month after he died. "Consider it a token of gratitude," according to Megure-keibu. It was finished just after ten months and because of that, Ai and Kazuko moved back to their original home.

Feeling the urge to pay her respects for Hakase, Ran begun visiting his house on a daily basis, which only got her relationship with Ai and Kazuko to become stronger. Unlike back then, the scientist didn't give the cold shoulder to Ran anymore, which is mainly because she had moved on from her sister's death. She now happily sees the teen as a remembrance of Akemi, since they look similar, and they both had kind personalities. They actually got along well as time passed, with Ran also mentioning that she met someone who looks like the girl, which was Shiho Miyano, Shinichi's girlfriend. Ai and Kazuko internally chuckled, knowing that the person whom she was talking about was the young auburn-haired girl herself.

Their relationship got stronger every time Ran visited their house. There was even a time when Ai rejected Conan's offer to go to the cinema as she had planned to go shopping with Ran and Kazuko for the day! And like what Kazuko had predicted, HE WAS JEALOUS. Not only him, but Ryuuichi as well, who was rejected by his girlfriend too. Talk about overreacting…

And so that day, due to their idiocy, they planned to ruin their shopping. The plan was to steal their wallets so that they can't buy anything anymore. And since they were idiots, they messed up quite badly. Ai and Kazuko were not clearly pleased with what happened, and the two boys each received a big red mark on their faces, much to Ran's humor. They also had to carry everything they bought for the day, which was torture, according to Conan.

Speaking of Ryuuichi, he also pays his respects to Hakase in his own way. He took every unfinished invention that the old man had made, and promised to complete all of them in honor of the man whom he considered as a father.

Kazuko temporarily went back to Osaka to attend her butler's funeral, who passed away recently, due to his battle with lung cancer. In the process, she left her mansion under the Hattori family's care, saying that she is happy with her life in Beika and telling them to live under its roof, believing they would take care of the house and everything inside it. Well, actually, only Heiji had moved in, along with a certain someone.

Kazuha and Heiji said their ''I do's'' a month prior to Kazuko's offer. He proposed to her even before their last battle with the BO, keeping it a secret from their friends, which some of them definitely didn't appreciate, including Ran. They were seriously surprised upon receiving the wedding invitations, because they weren't expecting the two of them to get married too soon. But they were proven wrong. Since Shinichi isn't able to attend as Heiji's best man, Kaito filled the position for him. However, Conan was there as the ringbearer, which greatly embarrassed him and his ego. Ran was the bridesmaid, along with Akako and Aoko. It was a day that both families of the bride and groom would never forget. Heizo and Ginshiro shed a few tears for their children, while stating how they couldn't be any more happier that the two fell in love with each other and would get married. What made the event even more memorable was that Kazuha was openly crying when Heiji said his marriage vows. At first, he was worried, but he shook it off when he saw her smile between tears. She had never felt happier in her life, now that she would be marrying the idiot detective whom she loved ever since. After all the boring stuff said by the priest, the two shared their first kiss as a married couple, which got all of the people in the church to stand up and applaud loudly for them.

When it was the time to toss the bouquet of flowers to the attendants, Kazuha turned her back from everyone and threw the flowers with all her might. Ran was the one who caught the bouquet. When she had turned back to them, she hugged her best friend tightly, while wishing all the best for her, causing Ran to be embarrassed.

And that is how it led to this day.

 **XXX**

Winter had ended a few days ago. Spring now came in.

Sakura trees had new flowers bloom, and they were yet to fall.

It was the perfect time for a wedding.

Ran Mouri stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself in her wedding gown. For a short moment, she started to be amazed at how good she looked before shaking her head to get rid of the thought. She never thought of herself as beautiful, even if others say so. She always thought that she was somewhere average, feeling embarrassed if she did made a compliment on her own beauty.

She went back to her chair inside the room, while being cooled down by the air conditioning. She looked at the door and decided to wait for her friends to help with her makeup, as she wasn't the type to use any kind of beautifying agent, unlike Sonoko. Her thoughts started to drift on how this fateful day all began.

 **Flashback, 6 months earlier…**

 _"Ran, I have never met someone as kind and as beautiful in my entire life. The first time I laid eyes on you, I made a life-changing decision, and that was to get to know more about you. I became the happiest person in the world when we started dating. I got to know more and more about you and I would want nothing more than to make you happy and give you what you want. I want to walk beside you until the end of time. I want to be with you, so I ask you this. Ran Mouri, will you marry me?" Eisuke had knelt down on one knee and pulled out a diamond ring, with a smile on his face._

 _Ran gasped. 'Oh, my goodness!' she thought. She was beyond shocked. She just thought this would be a regular dinner with him, but clearly, she was wrong. 'H-he wants to marry me?!' She was about to say that it was too soon to think of that, but it won't do good. It will be nearly three years since they have started dating, and she can't deny that she has been happy the entire time._

 _While Eisuke wasn't as handsome as Shinichi, which most girls would say; and not whom she hoped to end up with at first, he was sweet, caring, helpful, generous, and selfless. At times, he could mess up a situation, but it will only result in her humor, because seeing him embarrassed only makes him cuter. Unlike Shinichi, he didn't have a fan club, so she never had to worry about girls chasing after him. Also unlike him, he doesn't blabber about detectives and mysteries all the time. He was interested in many things, including art, nature, and tennis. However, he did tell her that he wants to take up after his father and be a CIA agent someday, but she didn't mind, even remarking that he's aiming for a 'cool' job. He also didn't mind if she was acting lovey-dovey on him sometimes, and in fact, he was happy if it happens._

 _She went with what her heart had told her. "YES!" she cried, causing everyone in the restaurant to turn to the couple and clapped their hands with numerous 'aaaawwwwws' everywhere. "I want to be with you!" Eisuke's smile grew wider as he slid the ring on her finger, signifying their engagement._

 _He hugged her out of joy and pressed their foreheads together. "I love you. Let's tell everyone, and start making plans," he whispered as he grabbed her arm and led her out of the restaurant._

 **End of Flashback**

Ran smiled at that memory. How could she ever forget that? It was one of the best days of her life. With that, she could finally get rid of the part of herself that still clung on to her childhood friend, who was her first love as well. She was cut off from her thoughts when she heard the sound of the door to her room opening.

Kazuha, Akako, and Aoko made their way inside the room. "How's the bride doing?" teased Kazuha as she planted her palms on her hips. "Surely, she's not backing out from her special day, right?"

Ran blushed furiously. She threw up her arms in response. "No, it's not like that! I mean, yeah, I'm kind of nervous, but I want this to happen." She looked out the window, while Kazuha went outside after seeing a familiar face. "I won't let this wedding be put to waste."

Aoko stood in front of her and adjusted her veil. "You should," she said. "Because this is only once in a lifetime. If you back out, it might never happen again. And besides, after you and Hondou-kun get married, you have your entire life ahead of you. You're still young, anyway."

Ran was forced to turn to Akako as soon as she felt makeup on her face. The plum-haired girl began to add foundation to her friend's face as she began to speak. "Aoko's right, you know. For me, I can't wait for me and Kaito to get married!" She stopped for a moment and pictured herself and the former magician as a married couple in her mind. "I always wanted that to happen, but I still have to wait for his proposal. I wouldn't mind waiting, though!" She smiled warmly at her friend.

"Ran-chan!" called out Kazuha from outside, catching all of their attention. The girl from Osaka poked her head inside the room and the expression on her face meant that she was shocked. "There's someone you might want to see…" The bride gestured for her to let whoever it was out there to come inside the room. As soon as the two figures were in her field of vision, her eyes widened.

Shinichi was standing right in front of her, with his girlfriend, Shiho Miyano by his side. The both of them had smiles on their faces. Ran almost felt like crying, but she managed to refrain from it, not wanting to ruin this day just for a single person. Instead, she stood up from her seat and hugged her childhood friend tightly. "You're back!" she cried, her head on his shoulder. She didn't tell anyone, but she secretly sent a wedding invitation to both Shiho and Shinichi, having faith that one of her best friends will attend arguably the most important day of her life. She also wanted to see Shiho again after not getting to see her for a long time.

Shinichi returned the hug and looked at Shiho with a smirk on his face. The auburn-haired girl replied with a smirk of her own. This all dated back a few weeks ago…

 **Flashback**

 _"Why do I have to go there?" Ai asked, planting her palms on her hips and glaring at her boyfriend. He had just asked her if she would go to Ran's wedding with him, which will take place very soon._

 _"Ran obviously wants to see you again, idiot," Conan replied with an annoyed look on his face. "I can't go there without you, and even she would wonder why you aren't there."_

 _She turned around and crossed her arms. "I can't just go there, Shinichi! I mean, I didn't even get to meet her properly because the last time we met, I wasn't myself. If I could've spoken to her as an equal, then maybe, just maybe, I'll reconsider my decision."_

 _Conan sighed. "Come on, just give it a chance! What's the big deal, anyway? It's not like it'll be the end of the world if you two see each other again. And besides, sooner or later, you two will eventually cross paths again, there's no denying that."_

 _She turned around again to face him. "But it's not the right time, Shinichi! It's YOUR friend's wedding, not mine. Just go on without me, can't you do that? We're always with each other 24/7 and you can't survive without me just for a simple event? Give me a break!"_

 _Kazuko suddenly interrupted their conversation with a whistle. "Wow, you two are bickering with each other like a married couple now! When's the wedding?" she teased, causing the both of them to blush. She giggled a bit before walking over towards the scientist with crossed arms. "Listen, Shiho-chan, I think you should do what's best for the two of you. Whether you attend as Ai Haibara or Shiho Miyano, I'm sure Ran will be happy either way." This left Ai with a dazed expression on her face before Kazuko spoke once more. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with Ryuuichi-kun!" She dashed out the door, leaving the two inside to ponder over what she said._

 **End of Flashback**

Ran broke the hug and stared into her friend's eyes. "Of course," replied Shinichi with a smirk. "Did you really think I would miss one of my dearest friend's wedding? If you did, then you're dead wrong!" Ran giggled and looked at Shiho, who was staring at her with a small smile.

"Oh, Shiho-chan is with you as well?!" She grabbed Shiho's hand and shook it gently. "It's nice to see you again! It's been years since I last saw you!"

Shiho couldn't help but feel warm-hearted at Ran's attitude. "Yes, it's been a quite a while, Mouri-san," she said. "I apologize if I haven't made my presence felt over the years," she looked at Shinichi with a mischievous smile. "But this detective here just can't get enough of me!"

Ran threw a shocked face while Shinichi felt fear inside him. "WHAT?!" all the girls inside the room shouted.

"I tried to at least call you once after our first meeting, but Shinichi has been preventing me to do so! He even hid my phone from me! Can you please teach him a lesson? I can't take it anymore!"

Shinichi was about to argue with her when he felt a deadly aura from behind him. He gulped and turned around to see Ran with her eyes crimson red and a glare that looks could kill. "Shinichi…" she growled.

"Uh-oh," was all the detective he could say as he sprinted out of the room, desperate to avoid his angry friend, much to the amusement of an auburn-haired scientist.

"COME BACK HERE, SHINICHI! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MESS WITH A GIRL!" Ran screamed as she chased down Shinichi.

'I'll get you for this, Shiho…' the detective thought in his head.

 **An hour later, at a park near Kyoto…**

It was an outdoor wedding. Not because Ran and Eisuke didn't have the money to afford such an elegant wedding in a church, but the girl couldn't help but feel the breeze and calmness outside. Many guests have already arrived, including Hidemi (who took a month-long vacation from the CIA to be with her family), Takagi and Sato (who got married three months ago), Heiji and Kazuha, Kaito and Akako, Sonoko and Makoto (who are now engaged after the man proposed to her a year ago), and Saguru and Aoko.

Not too long after that, Shinichi and Shiho arrived and took their seats, much to the shock of Heiji, Saguru, Kaito, and even Eisuke. Everyone else were surprised as well, except for a few people. Kazuha, Akako, and Aoko smirked, because they didn't tell that the two would be attending the event. The two lovers scratched their heads in embarrassment for the silence they accidentally caused. Ryuuichi and Kazuko, who also attended, flashed a smirk too, having the thought that they'll be back in their original forms for the wedding. Sonoko smiled widely, glad that Conan decided to transform back for the day.

They didn't have time even for a small reunion, as the wedding was about to begin. Eisuke stood near the altar and took a deep breath. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Ever since him and Ran have started dating years ago, he always dreamed of marrying her someday. He smiled as soon as he saw Ran, who was with Kogoro as they walked towards the altar. He couldn't see it, but he could definitely feel the happiness she had. It felt as if all of this just started yesterday…

 **Flashback**

 _Eisuke Hondou poked his head out from behind a tree and looked at Ran, who was sitting on a bench behind the school. He just overheard from Sonoko yesterday that Shinichi had a girlfriend, and it wasn't Ran. He immediately became confused. Why would Shinichi do that? Didn't he love Ran? Conan fought for her when he tried to tease that he'd go out with her, right? Then why would he have somebody else? This made Eisuke curious as he stepped closer to the bench where she was sitting._

 _Feeling somebody's presence behind her, Ran stood up and took a defensive stance. "HAAAAA!" she screamed, but stopped when she saw Eisuke throwing up his arms in defense. Ran suddenly scratched her hair in embarrassment. "Gomen ne, Eisuke-kun. I didn't know it was you."_

 _The boy let out a sigh of relief as he lowered his guard down. "It's fine, Ran-san," he replied. "It's my fault for sneaking up behind you."_

 _They shared a good laugh for a moment before Ran spoke up again. "Why are you here, Eisuke-kun?"_

 _"Oh, I needed to talk to you!" He walked closer to her and looked at the space beside her. "May I?" he asked and Ran nodded. He took a seat beside her and inhaled deeply. "I know it's not my business to ask about this," he began. "But is it true? Does Kudo-kun have a girlfriend now?"_

 _Ran hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded, causing Eisuke to widen his eyes. "T-then what about you? Weren't you in love with him or something? I always hear from Suzuki-san that you feel something for him."_

 _Ran directed her gaze towards the ground. "Happy endings don't always happen, Eisuke-kun," she sighed. "I don't like talking about my past feelings for him, because I already moved on, but I guess I could tell you about it." Eisuke looked at her with eyes of concern. "I did love him, but I kept denying it at every point. Maybe out of shyness, or out of pride, I don't know. But it taught me one thing, and that is a person doesn't know what he or she has until it's gone." She looked at Eisuke again. "Why were you asking?"_

 _The boy blushed. "Oh, I was just curious! Because one day, I know that he has feelings for you then the next day he just gets himself a girlfriend! Pretty strange, don't you think?"_

 _Ran smiled warmly at him as other thoughts left her mind. "You're trying to comfort me, aren't you?" Eisuke blushed furiously._

 _"N-no you aren't —" he was cut off when he suddenly felt Ran's warm lips on his cheek. All thoughts immediately left his brain as the girl he was talking to just kissed him. What the heck just happened? When she pulled away, his eyes were as wide as saucers he stared at Ran._

 _All of a sudden, Ran's face turned red as she realized what she had just done. She stared at Eisuke in disbelief as she stood up and bowed quickly. "GOMEN!" she cried as she bolted away from his sight, causing him to raise an eyebrow._

 **End of Flashback**

"Do you, Eisuke Hondou, take Ran Mouri, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to cherish in friendship and love today, tomorrow, and for as long as the two of you live, to trust and honor her, to love her faithfully, through the best and the worst, whatever may come, and if you should ever doubt, to remember your love for each other as long as you both shall live?

"I do," said Eisuke as he stared in Ran's eyes. The girl couldn't help but smile at him. He had been there for her when she needed it the most. He was the one to shoulder all the sadness she felt after losing Shinichi, and she had never felt happier that now they were about to be married. She would never forget the day when their relationship first bloomed.

 **Flashback**

 _A few days have passed ever since the 'kiss' that Ran gave Eisuke. In all those days, she did her best to avoid him at all costs, mostly in school. Whenever he tried to go near her, she'd either make an excuse and run or just walk away without even noticing. But then, she came to the conclusion that this wasn't doing any good, and that avoiding him isn't the answer. But what confused her so much is why did she even kiss him in the first place? Was it just to release the pent-up emotion inside her? Or was it something more? Only one way to find out._

 _And so the next day in school, she spent all the time after all their classes to find Eisuke and confront him about what happened._

 _Two hours have passed, and Ran decided to take a breather by sitting on a bench. Where could he be? Has he gone home already? Or was he just good in hiding? 'Calm down, Ran,' she thought. 'It was just a kiss. A kiss you initiated.' Her question was answered when she looked to the side and saw Eisuke with an embarrassed smile on his face._

 _"Hey," he breathed out. "I came to ask you about what happened a few days ago."_

 _Ran suddenly stood up and hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry about what happened! I don't know why I did it! Please forgive me!"_

 _Eisuke waved his hands frantically. "Easy, easy! Don't worry about it. If anything, I did enjoy it." Ran then blushed as red as a tomato causing Eisuke to widen his eyes in fear. "No, I didn't mean it in a perverted way! I meant that I didn't expect such a beautiful girl would kiss me!"_

 _"O-oh," she stuttered. "T-thank, you…"_

 _The boy scratched his head embarrassingly before an idea struck his head. This would surely clear things for them and rebuild their friendship. "H-hey, why don't we go eat somewhere? I know a good cafe nearby. You don't have to if you don't want to, I just want to make up for lost time as friends."_

 _Ran looked up at him and thought about it. After half a minute, she smiled and held his hand, causing him to blush. "Sure, I'd love to! Let's go!"_

 _After eating at the cafe, they were now walking hand-in-hand back home. The sun was going down, and Eisuke had offered to walk her back, since it was how a gentleman would act in that kind of situation. Ran enjoyed their eat-out; she got to know more about him, especially his sad past. She learned how he lost his parents, that his sister was the onky one left of his family, and how he would do anything just to find her. She was slightly taken aback by his determination. In turn, Eisuke knew more about her childhood days, which only made the boy more interested in her more._

 _When they reached the roads where they would take separate paths, Ran turned to him and smiled. "I enjoyed the meal, Eisuke-kun. Thank you. I hope we stay like this for a long time."_

 _"No problem," he answered with a grin. "Say the word and we'll go eat back at the cafe. I'm a regular customer, there, after all." They both stared at each other for a few seconds before noticing that darkness had took over. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now." She nodded. "See you later."_

 _They turned away from each other but before Ran could even make a move, she felt a burst of courage hit her. Turning around, she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek._

 _However, Eisuke turned back to look at her and her lips planted themselves on his own. They stayed like that for a few seconds before they broke apart as the both of them looked shock at what just happened._

 _Neither of them said anything as the both of them stared in each other's eyes, shocked at what they did. After staring at each other for a few seconds, they did the most logical thing they could think of. Ran grabbed the sides of his head and smashed her lips into his, while he grabbed her by her legs and pushed her against a nearby wall._

 _They continued kissing for a few minutes before finally broke apart, panting like animals in heat. "So what does this make us?" she teased._

 _"As much as I would want you as a girlfriend right now, I want to do things the right way, Ran-san." The girl raised an eyebrow. "I want to ask you out on a real date. What do you say?"_

 _Ran warmly smiled. "Of course, I'd love to!"_

 _And so their relationship began…_

 **End of Flashback**

"Do you, Ran Mouri, take Eisuke Hondou, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to cherish in friendship and love today, tomorrow, and for as long as the two of you live, to trust and honor her, to love her faithfully, through the best and the worst, whatever may come, and if you should ever doubt, to remember your love for each other as long as you both shall live?

"I do," she replied as tears nearly stung her eyes. They weren't tears of sadness, but tears of happiness. In return, Eisuke flashed her a grin.

"I now pronounce that this couple is husband and wife," the priest declared, causing happiness to take over the entire placr.. "You may now kiss the bride." Hearing those words, Eisuke looked at his newly announced wife, and smiled. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips, as she wrapped her arms around him.

Everyone present began to stand up and clap their hands for the couple, as some of them began to tear up and sob because of happiness. Eisuke twirled the both of them around out of happiness as their lips kept locked.

They broke apart after a minute and the both of then first giggled before hugging each other, causing more applaud from everyone present. The married couple stared at them before Ran threw her bouquet of flowers in the air, wanting to see who catches it.

Aoko caught the flowers as she began to blush furiously while Saguru simply smirked at her embarrassment. Ran laughed in amusement for her friend as she felt her husband grab her hand and lead her away.

 **Two hours later…**

The wedding reception had taken place at Haido Hotel. Everyone was completely satisfied with the food and entertainment at the place. Yet the main highlight were Eisuke and Ran, who were sitting with their families in one table, getting along with each other. Everyone who attended the wedding were so happy for them, and they couldn't help but tease them when they revealed that their honeymoon would be in Paris, the city of love.

Shinichi couldn't contain himself when he hugged Eisuke, much to the latter's shock. He whispered a simple sentence to her, that rocked the boy's world.

"Thank you… for taking care of her…"

Kogoro also began to try and get Eisuke to drink since he was drunk too, but Ran knocked him out even before he could do so, much to Eri's humor. The lawyer also stated how proud she was of her daughter for choosing the right man to be with, which only caused the Ran to tear up.

Yukiko and Yusaku sent their 'Congratulations' to the couple in a letter. They apologized for not being able to attend the wedding but they did send five thousand dollars as a wedding gift for the married couple.

Shinichi and Shiho went to the corner of the huge room, feeling the effects of the antidote wearing off as they experienced the pain in their chests. He looked at his lover and smirked. "Go look for Kazuko-chan and Ryuuichi," he spoke. "I got something to tell you all. If it's possible, can you get Kaito too?" She nodded and walked off.

A few minutes later, they find the three people Shinichi asked for surrounding them. "So what did you want to tell us, Shinichi?" asked Kaito. When he noticed his friend clutching his chest in pain, him, Ryuuichi, and Kazuko looked at the cobalt-eyed detective and scientist in concern. "Woah, the antidote is wearing off?"

"Yep," Shinichi breathed out. "So you guys better listen to what I say, got it? We don't have much longer before we transform back." The three nodded. "We can't keep it hidden forever. We have to tell them who we really are. They deserve to know the truth. Do you guys deny it?"

"No, you're absolutely right, Shinichi-kun," said Kazuko. "But how will we tell them? They obviously won't listen to the ramblings of kids like us."

"That's why we have her on our side, right?" Shinichi looked over to Shiho. "She can whip us up a batch of temporary antidotes to make us transform back!" Shiho, who was panting and sweating formed a thumbs-up to show her response. "Anyway, let's arrange a date for this to happen. You're in this too, Kaito. Your secret as the KID can't hold on for long, we both know that." Kaito nodded, yet he was nervous. How would everyone react to his secret? Will they feel betrayed? Angry? Sad? For that, he feels a little scared of what might happen, but it's what's needed to be done. "So when do you want to tell them?"

"How about a month from now?" Ryuuichi asked which got Kazuko and Kaito to nod together.

"So be it." He threw Shiho's arm over his shoulder as they both stood up. "One month from now. We'll talk further details about this later on, got it?" The three nodded. Shinichi reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of silver necklaces and threw them over to Kaito, who managed to catch the two in time.

They looked at Shinichi in confusion. "That's our gift for Ran and Eisuke," he said with a wide grin as he and Shiho began to limp away. "Tell everyone we left because of an emergency. Okaa-san was looking for us," he blurted out barely as the figures of both Shinichi Kudo and Shiho Miyano disappesred once more.

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"Let them come over…"**_

 _ **"We'll always be together…**_

 _ **"I'm still the same kid, you know…"**_

 _ **"Is this what I think it is?!"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 46: THERE IS ALWAYS ONLY ONE TRUTH**_

* * *

 _ **There we go! Full of flashbacks, isn't it? Gin's new name is 'Allen Jones', so take note of that to avoid confusion. He'll also have a new codename, but you'll have to wait for it in TNG. I don't care if some characters are too OOC here, because that's simply the purpose of fanfiction. To let your imagination loose. I honestly loved writing Heiji and Kazuha's wedding. Even though it was short, it was filled with emotion. I wish I could have given more details regarding it, but this chapter was dedicated for Ran. I also liked writing the flashbacks she had with Eisuke! Well, Shinichi and Shiho both attended, much to her surprise. For the next chapter, we'll have Conan, Ai, Kazuko, and Ryuuichi telling the truth about them being APTX 4869 victims, which they feel nervous about. Kaito will also tell the truth regarding him being Kaitou Kid and he is worried about how will their friends take it. Will they be angry, or will things stay the same? Hopefully, it won't be a long chapter, so it may not take too long to be published. Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


	46. There Is Always Only One Truth

_**FIVE! Read. FIVE CHAPTERS left before we say goodbye to IABH and dive into the next books of the New Direction series! Well, there is only one thing I want to say about this chapter: average. Not too exciting, and not too boring, but this is a very important chapter nonetheless. I can't have this fanfic end with Conan and his friends not revealing who they really are. Before we continue, I'm having a new habit of answering reviews now. So I'm answering a few here:**_

 _ **HardcoreAsylum: So you noticed? Oh, dang, you got me! I thought no one would notice! And it's not a codename! It's his new name! As in real name!**_

 _ **AixConanShihoxShinichi: As of now, Heiji and Kazuha and Eisuke and Ran are the only couples married…**_

 _ **Thank you for all the continued support for the past year and I'm looking forward to give all of you more CoAi goodness after I finish this. Check my FB page to anyone out there who follows New Direction. I posted something there to clear some things up and maybe inspire more writers to join fanfiction and the CoAi movement... Hehe…**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own ONLY the songs in this chapter. I OWN DC! Hehe, LOL…**_

* * *

It has been a month ever since Ran's big day. The days went by quite quickly, but no one managed to notice. Here we encounter Beika's own Conan Edogawa and Ai Haibara walking back home after yet another date between them. The detective didn't mind even if they go out everyday, since what's important is that he only wants to be with her. But the scientist was getting a bit impatient by the moment.

They were already loyal to each other. They have been a couple for more than three years, and they even spent a night together. What more can they do to officially seal the deal? Through the eyes of the world, they are considered children, not adults. And because of that, she feels like an idiot.

To seal the deal? They'd need to get married. And to do that, they had to be at least eighteen years of age. They could get married anytime but because of their current condition, they wouldn't be considered adults in order to be legally married. And she certainly didn't want to take another temporary antidote. What can she do? That's right. Nothing. All she could do was wait for the right time for everything to go the way it should be.

'That detective is surely full of surprises,' she thought to herself. 'Who knows? A wedding proposal by Shinichi is unlikely, but it's not impossible. I can't get what he's thinking every moment too…'

Conan noticed her staring at him and he raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head. "You sure?" She nodded. "Then why are you staring at me? You only do that when you need me for something or when you're asking for something..."

"Never mind me," she snapped. "What about you? Did you forget that we'll have to tell everyone we know who we really are? Or am I just too beautiful to handle?" she finished with a smirk.

Hearing this made Conan stop in his tracks and hung his head low. "Oh, you're right. We do need to tell them." He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "But how? I don't feel like going up a stage and reveal myself to literally the world."

"Go figure out for yourself, metantei," she said with a smirk, emphasizing on the last word she spoke. "I'll be waiting for your solution with Nomura-san and Fujimoto-kun."

"Don't forget Kaito," he pressed on.

"Whatever you say..."

 **Tomorrow…**

Ran was sitting peacefully in her chair, reading one of her school textbooks. Eisuke wasn't home, he was visiting her sister in her apartment since she just came home for a vacation from FBI work. Ever since her wedding a month ago, she moved into the house that she and Eisuke bought a year ago. Before her wedding, Eisuke was the only one living there since Ran didn't want to leave the Detective Agency at least until they tie the knot.

Her time at Teitan High School wasn't over. Not yet, at least. Graduation day is still two months away, so her honeymoon with Eisuke would need to wait. Speaking of their honeymoon, the two have already decided that they won't be going away for like a year like what most couples would do. Ran was fine with only a month of alone time with her husband. As much as she would want to get lovey-dovey with Eisuke, both their education and future jobs matter more for now.

Just as Ran flipped to another page, she heard the telephone ring. She wasted no time in getting up from her seat and walking over to answer it. She brought the phone up to her ear and spoke. "Moshi-moshi?"

"Ran…" said a voice that she easily recognized.

She gasped. "Shinichi?" she said with a hopeful tone. The last time he showed himself was during her wedding. "Shinichi, is that you?!"

"Y-yeah, it's me…"

"Well then, how have you been, you idiot detective?!" she immediately said, taking advantage of the situation since she knows that it will take a long time before he makes his presence known again. "Are you doing ok? What about Shiho-chan? You better be treating her well, Shinichi! If I find out again that you've been harsh to her, I'll kick your ass so hard you won't be able to walk for an entire week!"

"Listen Ran, I don't have time to catch up with you, so I'll cut straight to the point." His voice right now can mean that he's somewhat serious but nervous at the same time, much to her confusion. Was there something wrong?

"O-okay?" she replied, unsure of what she's assuming. "What's on your mind?"

"You need to know something that I should've told you long ago, Ran… you won't believe me if I said it through words." She held the phone closer, interested in what he's trying to say. "I know you won't. Later tonight, I'll sending you something through e-mail that will clear things up. Be sure to wait for it, okay?"

"S-sure, I could do that… what are you talking about, anyway? Are you planning to tell me a deep, dark secret of yours? If so, then why a video? I'll believe you either way."

'I don't think that's how you would take it…' he thought. "Wait until tonight, Ran. I promise, everything will be explained in the video I'm sending you." 'I'm sorry for hiding it all this time, Ran.'

"All right, then. I'll be waiting."

"Then see you later. Goodbye, Ran."

"B-bye, Shinichi." She put down the phone, ending their call. She suddenly felt kind of dizzy, so she went to the nearest chair he could find and immediately sat on it. She touched the side of her head as her mind drifted away to thoughts.

'Why do I feel like Shinichi just did something behind my back?'

 **4:36 P.M.**

Tears welled up in Ran's eyes as she sat patiently inside Kogoro's car. They were currently headed to Hakase's house in order to confirm something that was nearly impossible. Inside with her was her husband, mother, and father. Just minutes earlier, she received the video that Shinichi was telling her about through e-mail. She invited Eisuke to come watch it with her and it was the content of the video that shook their world.

 _"Are we live?" Conan asked as Kazuko checked the camera._

 _"All good!" she replied._

 _"Then get back here, all of us should be present." Kazuko quickly ran back to her place behind Conan which is beside Ai and Ryuuichi._

 _Conan cleared his throat and began to speak. "Hello. My name is Conan Edogawa, 9 years old, and a Grade 4 student of Beika Primary School. The people behind me are my friends and also classmates," he gave way for the camera to see and pointed to Kazuko and Ryuuichi. "Kazuko Yamada and Ryuuichi Fujimoto." He then pointed to Ai, who faintly nodded to show her presence. "And this is my girlfriend, Ai Haibara."_

 _He unconsciously gulped and turned back to the camera. "Instead of stalling time, we'll just cut to the chase. We are not who you think we are. We may look like kids, but we are so much more than that. In a few minutes, you'll find that we speak the truth." He turned to Ai and nodded. She stepped forward and gave him a small pill, and she did the same towards the two beside her._

 _"This," Conan held up the pill. "will make you all believe us. We will explain everything and answer any question you want to ask." Afterwards, the four popped the pills in their mouths, followed by a drink of cold water."_

 _It was after a minute that Kazuko fell to her knees as she screamed in pain. She was followed by Ryuuichi, who clutched his stomach in response to the pill. Conan grabbed the sides of his own head and gritted his teeth to prevent screams of pain from being heard. And Ai collapsed on her knees too, as she bagan coughing violently. The four of them managed to grab some clothes around them that looked prepared._

 _After half a minute, all of them were lying on the ground with the camera only catching sight of their torsos. A familiar voice then filled the room. "Now we can really get down to business." The first to be up was Conan, however, his appearance was completely different earlier. Because what was smirking in front of the camera right now in Conan's place was none other than Shinichi Kudo._

 _Shinichi stood up and simply smiled at the camera. "Ta-dah! I'm Conan Edogawa! The intelligence, logical ability, and mystery nerd you all saw in Conan is all me. Conan Edogawa is an alias I created the night when me and my childhood friend went to the amusement park. Everything will be answered, but let's start from the beginning." He moved away from the camera and looked at the three figures staring at the lens. Ai, Kazuko, and Ryuuichi were long gone and were replaced by three new people._

 _Shiho, wearing a lab coat, stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Hello. My name is Shiho Miyano, formerly known as 'Sherry' of the Black Organization. It's quite obvious that I am Ai Haibara from earlier," she spoke softly, brushing a few strands of her strawberry-blonde hair away from her face. "Because of everything that has happened, I expect that you know by now what is the Black Organization and who were the people working behind it. My family was forced to create a drug so lethal that it could kill a person without a single trace." She looked down on the floor. "I regret ever working for such a ruthless group and I regret creating such a dangerous drug." Her head then turned back to the camera. "Shinichi Kudo was the first victim of the drug called 'APTX 4869' the night he saw two members of the organization in Tropical Land. Instead of ending his life, he was turned into a child."_

 _She paused for a moment before speaking once again. She didn't like going through that memory. It was the time when Shinichi got involved in all this mess. But she is still quite a bit thankful it happened, because she'd never meet him if he didn't spy on Allen and Vodka. "I found out about his survival when the organization came to investigate on his house. His clothes as a kid were decreasing, and who else could wear it but him?"_

 _As if to give confirmation, Shinichi nodded from the side, showing that he agrees with her. "Not long after that, I lost my sister to the organization. I demanded answers from them, but they never replied. I resorted to suicide in order to end my misery using the drug I made, but it turned me into a kid instead. With a new body, I was able to escape. I headed for Shinichi Kudo's home to see if he could help me, but instead, the late Hiroshi Agasa did."_

 _She paused once more, remembering the memory of her father figure taking her in. "You all know what happened after that. The months passed and I was known as Ai Haibara while Shinichi is Conan Edogawa. We went through ups and downs, until our vacation to Hawaii. Many things happened that time, but the Dragon Syndicate was the highlight. They were a new syndicate that we needed to deal with. We got involved in the battle against them which led to victory, and that was when we found another victim of APTX 4869."_

 _Shiho, like Conan, stepped to the side and let Shino take over. Over the past years, her obsession with reading books has gotten too far that it reached the point where in she reads in the dead of night. Because of that, she developed nearsightedness. But for some reason, her eyesight was still strong while as a kid, which led to Shiho thinking the drug has some sort of immunity towards those kind of illnesses. However, Ryuuichi was still worried for her well being so they bought eyeglasses for her in case she ever turns back to being a teen._

 _While sporting a small blush, she smiled warmly while facing the camera. As a teen, any guy would consider himself lucky to even be with her. Her black hair reached down to her lower back but the ribbon on her hair never changed. She had a slim figure, a voluptuous chest, her curves could give any guy a run for his money, and her face could rival even Chris herself. It made Ryuuichi wonder if she ever had a boyfriend before him, considering her beauty and personality in all._

 _"Hi!" she tried sounding cheerful, but it seemed like her happy-go-lucky side won't work this time. "I'm Shino Nomura, but you know me as Kazuko Yamada. I originally live in Osaka, but I moved here ever since I met Shinichi-kun and Shiho-chan. My father was the owner of a huge company back when he was alive, resulting in my wealth. I turned into a kid when I drank cola with the drug in it during a school party back then. The Dragon Syndicate was kidnapping children that time, and I was one of the kids abducted. By chance, Shiho-chan was there too and then she started questioning me, which led me to revealing who I really am. After the big battle, I met Shinichi-kun and I came to the decision that I want to live here. That is all."_

 _She stepped to the side and Ryuuichi came forth, trying to keep his usual cool look, which didn't quite help. His hair grew a bit but he was still the same handsome boy they saw in school. "Before I start," he began. "Ryuuichi Fujimoto is both my real name and name as a kid. I turned into a kid after eating chocolate with APTX 4869 in it. It may sound idiotic and complete nonsense to most of the people here, but it's the truth. I was known as a skilled prodigy in technology at the age of eleven, and I still am until now. After turning to a kid, the four people with me became my friends. I am currently living with my mother, though I rarely spend time with her now."_

 _Shinichi stepped forward and Ryuuichi went back to his place. "You now know the truth. We trust that you never speak of this to anyone else. You're one of the few people we trust with our secret. We are sorry if we ever caused you pain in whatever form it may be. If you wish to ask more questions, you are free to go here at Hakase's home at Beika.n later on. We'll be waiting then. This is all we have to say. Until then..." Shino stepped forward and stopped the camera's recording._

'If it's true,' Ran thought, tears staining her eyes. 'Then my suspicions back then were all true! I can't believe it. Shinichi was there all along? How could I have —' she was cut off from her thoughts when she felt their car slowing down. She jerked her head up to see they were now at Hakase's. Four other cars were parked outside the house, which led to them thinking that the four sent the video to many others.

Like Ran, Kogoro was also taken aback with what him and Eri found out. Earlier this afternoon, they received a video from a mysterious sender in e-mail. They didn't bother asking who sent it, nor when it got there. So this was why the gaki kept meddling with his cases and this was why he seemed so strange for a kid. Oh, he'll surely get a beating from him. Eisuke, on the other hand, was simply worried for Shinichi. What was he planning?

XXX

"I'm still the same kid, guys!" cried Shinichi as he tried explaining the situation to the rest of the Detective Boys. Of all the people who went to Hakase's, the kids have been there for more than two hours already. After they watched the video, they immediately went to the house to confirm it and ask things regarding their friendship.

"How can we be sure that you won't be leaving us, Shinichi-san?" asked Mitsuhiko, having difficulty to accept that the teenager in front of them is Conan. What more towards Shiho, Ryuuichi, or Kazuko?

"You can still call me 'Conan', guys! I told you that I AM Conan, but I'm not really a child! Even so, I'm still the same, Mitsuhiko!"

"How can you prove that you're really OUR Conan?" asked Ayumi with doubt in her voice, much to Shiho, Ryuuichi, and Shino's confusion. "Do or say something that only Conan would know."

Shinichi flashed an annoyed look and began to rant internallty about how kids acted these days. However, his inner ramblings were cut off when he saw Ran standing by the door with a shocked look on her face and tears were flowing out of her eyes. Kogoro and Eri were beside her and had the same look on their faces.

"S-Shinichi…" she breathed out.

"Hey, Ran," he replied with a apologetic tone. Ran wasted no time and quickly ran towards him as she pulled him in for a bone-crushing hug. He needed to explain things.

It took a while, since they had to wait for everyone to arrive first before the four would reveal the truth. Apparently Shinichi, Shiho, Ryuuichi, and Shino sent the video to every person they made an interaction with as Conan. But as soon as everyone finally got to the place, the four began explaining the contents of the video.

Some of them didn't quite get the video when they first watched it, but after Shinichi and Shiho explained the whole thing, they finally understood. However, nearly all of them were also confused with the detective himself. The permanent antidote was now completed and he could finally return to the life he never gave up. When he was offered to bring back his old life, he declined it because of a certain reason.

When Kazuha made a wild guess that Shiho was his reason for not turning back since she doesn't want to transform back as well, he refused it, claiming she doesn't have anything to do with the decision he made. His reason was that he wanted a normal life where people would treat him like a real person, not as someone who kept on solving cases and being treated like a hero. He wanted a life where he was just 'Conan', the person who had the peaceful and quiet life not 'Shinichi', who was being chased by fangirls everywhere, famous for his solved mysteries, and the son of an actress and a writer.

And therefore, they finally understood Shinichi's situation. When they asked the same thing to Shino and Ryuuichi, they simply answered that it's more fun to be kids and be with the Detective Boys. Because of that, the three children roared in happiness, because of their friends wanting to stay as kids instead of being back to their old lives.

Shinichi, Shiho, and Shino also told all of them about their decision to legally change their names when they grow older and use their aliases instead, having liked them. Megure-keibu and Matsumoto-keiji, who went to the house as well, assured them that their names will be changed as soon as possible.

It wasn't long after that the simple gathering to tell the truth became a small party. Well, since there was no food because Shiho had no idea that this would happen, Shino had the food delivered from a couple of different restaurants. It was quite amazing to see how an event could change quickly just by keeping the atmosphere calm and collected.

Shino cleared her throat and took a deep breath. It had been a long time since the last time she sang a song. She didn't ask for this. She was just supposed to get a fresh batch of clothes, not to sing! She just hoped that this won't be as bad as she hoped it would be.

* * *

 _As I chase my dream, I got lost deep in the forest of my heart_

 _Rather than mirrors, it's the clear spring, that reflected a warped smile_

 _These tears that I have shed (Don't cry), gold or silver they won't be_

 _Those commonly seen tears (Fall from my eyes), goddesses won't even notice them_

 _Chasing, chasing our true dreams_

 _Surpassing the greatest I've ever been even more._

 _Chasing chasing them this instant_

 _That's who I'll become, a person I've described, the flame that burns in one's heart!_

 _Na na na na na na na Oh_

 _Na na na na na Hey Hey_

 _Na na na na na na na Oh_

 _The hero who run past through that!_

 _Na na na na na na na Oh_

 _Na na na na na Hey Hey_

 _Na na na na (Hey) na na na (Oh)_

 _The flame that burns in one's heart (My life... yeah)_

 _When I close your eyes, and cleared up my ears, I can hear a faint voice_

 _At a forest where there should be nobody around look up towards the blue sky_

 _I shall never return to (Goodbye) the poison named loneliness._

 _The sweet scented flowers (Fill up the sky) shall bloom fully in the world_

 _Goodbyes are changing changing_

 _Surpassing the best that I've ever been even more._

 _Smiles that are changing changing_

 _Granting that wish shall be the fire that lights my heart up_

 _Na na na na na na na Oh_

 _Na na na na na Hey Hey_

 _Na na na na na na na Oh_

 _The hero that runs through all_

 _Na na na na na na na Oh_

 _Na na na na na Hey Hey_

 _Na na na na (Hey) na na na (Oh)_

 _The fire that lights my heart up_

 _Hey whoa it's unbelievably hard that I don't know who I really am_

 _Wake up and make up, repeating the pattern everyday fade out (Ah...)_

 _From this nightmare (La...) No way baby (No way baby)_

 _(na na na na na) The only to get out (Go gotta go now) is to wake up from it_

 _Sunbathing in the dazzling morning sun, ahead of what I'm staring at is the future that I saw that day that I'll open my arms for!_

 _Whoa Whoa!_

 _Chasing, chasing our true dreams_

 _Surpassing the greatest I've ever been even more._

 _Chasing chasing them this instant_

 _That's who I'll become, a person I've described, the flame that burns in one's heart!_

 _Na na na na na na na Oh_

 _Na na na na na Hey Hey_

 _Na na na na na na na Oh_

 _The hero who run past through all!_

 _Na na na na na na na Oh_

 _Na na na na na Hey Hey_

 _Na na na na (Hey) na na na (Oh)_

 _The flame that burns in one's heart!_

 _XXX_

The second Shino finished her song, she looked up to see everyone was staring at her in amazement. She had sung so beautifully that it managed to catch everyone's attention. She saw Shinichi smirking at her and she figured out what to do next. She rushed over to him and grabbed his arm. She pulled him over to the microphone stand and began pointing to it. Shinichi sighed and everyone groaned, covering their ears since they knew how he sings. Little did they know that change is possible in this world. He cleared his throat.

XXX

 _You are my friend, ah, you haven't forgotten_

 _The dream from that day yet, have you?_

 _You're my dream, ah, your one longest way has begun_

 _Oh, let's go now!_

 _Everyday ahead is a shining day_

 _Unchanging singin', your shining morning smile_

 _Here, a last glimpse of funny days_

 _I'll jump to the future, I've aimed to go far, dreaming of your heart_

 _I'll go the distance, in the endless blue sky_

 _Embarking on a star ship, this is the most extreme forever trip_

 _You are my friend, ah, you haven't forgotten_

 _The dream from that day yet, have you?_

 _You are my dream, ah, your one longest way has begun_

 _Oh, let's go now!_

 _Thank you my friend, ah, I still haven't forgotten_

 _What happened that day_

 _You are my dream, I still can't turn back to those days again_

 _Oh, I'll go the distance_

 _The lie I've told that's too big for me to keep hiding_

 _I've come to terms with it, this is the end of my trip_

 _It's a game I'll forever lose, from here on, my one dream has begun_

 _You are my friend, ah, you haven't forgotten_

 _The dream from that day yet, have you?_

 _You are my dream, ah, your one longest way has begun_

 _Oh, let's go now!_

 _Thank you my friend, ah, I still haven't forgotten_

 _What happened that day_

 _You are my dream, I still can't turn back to those days again_

 _Already on the move towards tomorrow, my flames of heart cannot be put_ _out_

 _That's right, I'll go the distance_

 _XXX_

'Wow' was the one word imprinted in everyone's minds after Shinichi's song. Before Ryuuichi can even tease him about the song, he found himself holding the microphone in his right hand. His face dropped as he heard Shinichi's snickering from behind the people inside the house. 'I swear I'll get you for this, Shinichi…' He thought, gritting his teeth in anger before starting with the song.

XXX

 _The things closest to you_

 _You need to always pay the most attention to_

 _If you get too close to something_

 _You will lose sight of it_

 _What in the world is the happiness_

 _That you gained from your newest experience?_

 _Maybe you're just too blessed_

 _To remember!_

 _That you're here_

 _That you're breathing_

 _Realise that's just a miracle in itself_

 _The things closest to you_

 _You need to always pay the most attention to_

 _If you get too close to something_

 _You will lose sight of it_

 _You know the closer you get to something_

 _The tougher it is to see it_

 _And I'll never take it for granted_

 _Let's go!_

 _Though there are people that say_

 _Helping someone is hypocritical_

 _Each person_

 _Can be trusted, or can be doubted, so..._

 _Let's say that_

 _Even if you are hypocritical_

 _If you saved someone because of it_

 _That would be real, more than anything_

 _Continue chasing after your dreams_

 _And go on without giving up_

 _The more you say pretty things like that_

 _The less that actually gets done_

 _I'll keep a handful of courage in my heart_

 _To use to live through tomorrow_

 _And I'll never take it for granted_

 _Let's go!_

 _The things closest to you_

 _You need to always pay the most attention to_

 _If you get too close to something_

 _You will lose sight of it_

 _You know the closer you get to something_

 _The tougher it is to see it_

 _And I'll never take it for granted_

 _Continue chasing after your dreams_

 _And go on without giving up_

 _The more you say pretty things like that_

 _The less that actually gets done_

 _I'll keep a handful of courage in my heart_

 _To use to live through tomorrow_

 _And I'll never take it for granted_

 _Let's go!_

 _XXX_

After Ryuuichi's performance, Shiho felt herself being pushed towards to where Ryuuichi was. Taking the first chance at freedom the prodigy, he immediately gave her the microphone, and left without a word. Before she could even answer, the crowd was already applauding and cheering for her. Now she had no choice but to sing a song. She looked nervously at all of them then she took a deep breath and began.

XXX

 _If I'm with you_

 _Love and dreams can turn magical_

 _Come on, let's cast the magic of smiles_

 _In a powerful world_

 _full of problems_

 _I yearned a bit for_

 _The halted time_

 _starts to move_

 _after I met you_

 _Why are we born and living?_

 _I don't need a difficult answer_

 _We'll laugh, we'll cry, honest and nice_

 _Simple feelings_

 _are the most precious_

 _On those sad nights_

 _Turn overflowing tears into strength_

 _C'mon, let's cast the magic of smiles_

 _No matter how strong you are_

 _You hold uneasiness in your heart_

 _You're not alone_

 _I'm here_

 _You and I are like the same_

 _While continuing to fight with loneliness_

 _Today, tomorrow, or one-hundred years later_

 _We'll laugh, we'll cry, we'll connect_

 _Because of frank words I want to tell you_

 _If I'm with you_

 _Love and dreams can turn magical_

 _C'mon, anywhere_

 _We'll laugh, we'll cry, honest and nice_

 _Simple feelings_

 _are the most precious_

 _On those sad nights_

 _Turn overflowing tears into strength_

 _C'mon, let's cast the magic of smiles_

 _The magic of you and I!_

* * *

After her song, she was panting due to singing with all her efforts, which got her a massive aplaud and cheers. Shiho flashed a small smile before leaving the microphone at the stand.

Shincihi's eyes suddenly drifted towards the window, and he saw that the sun was setting. His gaze then turned to Shiho, who seemed to be happily talking to Kazuko, Ran, and her friends about her song. Then once more, his gaze fell to the window again. He tapped his pocket from the outside, and felt something hard inside. He then heard the voice of his Heiji whose voice was sort of encouraging him.

"Go on, Kudo!" he cheered on. "You'll miss your chance if you don't do it! If you mess this up, I swear I'm kicking your ass all the way to the moon!"

Conan stared at him for a moment, before he crossed his arms and smirked. He looked at Kaito, Saguru, and Ryuuichi, who all flashed looks of encouragement at him too. His smirk then turned to a full-on smile as he sighed in defeat but smiled a bit, much to the amusement of his friends.

Without another word spoken, the detective rushed towards Shiho and grabbed her arm. Obviously, she was taken aback at his sudden quickness, but it brushed off when he started running and she had to keep up.

Ran and the others raised an eyebrow with what Shinichi just did. What was he thinking? Did he have a deathwish? How dare he interrupt a perfectly good talk between girls?! Their confused looks eventually turned into angry expressions but Kazuko was simply smiling. Just when Ran was about to leave to give Shinichi the smacking she reserves, Shino grabbed her arm and shook her head.

"But he ruined our good talk, Shino-chan!" she cried while cracking her knuckles, having no problem with adjusting to the truth that was revealed earlier, wherein that Shino was Kazuko's real name. "I need to teach him a lesson about respecting people's conversations!"

Hearing that, Shino let go of her arm, knowing Ran was right. The idiot detective always had little respect for people talking to each other, always tending to drag one out whenever he needs that person to talk with. "All right, I won't object, Ran-chan." She pointed to Ran and her friends. "But you need to wait until after Shinichi-kun gives it to Shiho-chan!"

"Gives 'it'?" asked Ran, Sonoko, Akako, Aoko, and Kazuha altogether.

Shino brought her index finger up to her lips to show silence. "Can't tell you!" she whispered. She tapped the side of her glasses next. "It's a surprise so you'll have to wait later!" She then left the scene for her boyfriend, Ryuuichi who seemed to be calling out for her, leaving the five girls in confusion.

XXX

Shinichi continued running towards the backyard and they stopped underneath the tree. When he let go of her arm to regain his breathing, he barely blocked an incoming slap from Shiho. He furrowed his eyes at her while she was looking at him with a stern face. "Why are you trying to slap me?" he asked.

She pulled her arm back. "What's wrong with you?" she replied and crossed her arms. "Don't you know how to respect people's conversations, Shinichi? In case you didn't see it, I was speaking to Mouri-san and her friends a while ago and you just ruined our good talk!"

He smirked. "Wow, so you like talking to Ran now? How the mighty have fallen…"

She turned away with a frown. She looked back at him without turning her head. "Yeah, yeah. Why did you bring me out here anyways? Need my help for another one of your cases? I'm not interested," she finished with a sarcastic tone.

He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "No, it's because I wanted to give you something." The frown left her face and was now replaced with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

He reached inside his pocket and brought out a ring. A shiny, sparkling, and beautiful ring. The diamond was the cherry on top of the cake for its sparkliness. Any woman would kill for the ring itself. Shiho widened her eyes with what he had in his hand. Was he going to do it? Was he going to do what she think he is? Reality must be playing games with her. Or was this truly reality?

He grabbed her right hand and slipped the ring on her ring finger. She pulled back her arm and gazed at the wonderful piece of jewelry he just gave her. Her mouth fell numb to the point where she can't even mutter a simple 'thank you'. She was just too shocked with what he just did. After what seemed like forever, she finally managed to blurt out a few words. "I-is this…?"

Shinichi smiled warmly at her. "Yeah, it is. But that doesn't mean we're getting married immediately." Her heart stopped. They aren't tying the knot? How? Why? Doesn't he want to be with her for the rest of his life? Before she could even muster what just transpired, he spoke again. "I want to wait until we're at least 18 in our child bodies," he continued, scratching his head in embarrassment. "I mean, it would be cheating if we use an antidote just for a simple event. In the meantime, we have so much time to spend with each other, ok? That ring that I gave you is simply a sign of my love that I'll never leave you for the following years. We'll always be together."

Her lips curled into a smile. So that's why he gave her the ring. For once in her life, she actually felt joy after hearing such loving words from Shinichi. And it wasn't just joy, she was contented with her life right now. In fact, if she died there on the spot, she'll still be happy because of what Shinichi said. However, death will only make things worse so it's best to forget that.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared into his cobalt ones. He looked at her lips and started leaning into her. She wrapped her arms around his back and they shared a final kiss under the disappearing sun and into the moonlight. Both of their arms suddenly tightened around each other, as if wanting to merge their bodies into one.

Their heads turned to every direction and angle in order to taste more of the other and to have as much contact of tongues as they could, eliciting a small moan from her lips. Her hands went to his scalp, running her fingers through his hair while his own went down to her back, massaging her soft, creamy skin ever so softly.

After two minutes, the pair broke off, panting for air. Two pairs of eyes looked at each other with pure lust, wanting more. They were about to lean in for another kiss when they suddenly broke down in a fit of chuckles and laughter. They would be idiots if they continue, and being a kid has its own disadvantages in some ways.

Instead, Shinichi grabbed her hand and turned back to the house. "Come on, everybody might be looking for us." She didn't hesitate to nod as the two of them walked back, with a special surprise for all of their friends inside.

"When did you buy the ring?"

"Since three years ago. Originally bought it for Ran, but you know what happened. Don't ever think that you're just a second option, in case you're thinking of it. I would give the ring to the one I love and that person is you." He pinched her cheek lightly, causing her to playfully pout and slightly blush.

Although she did feel a bit down before he said those words because her new ring wasn't for her at first, she brushed any kind of negative feeling off, not wanting to ruin her good relationship with Ran over such a small matter. It won't even matter anymore, since she's a married woman and she has her own life now. The scientist felt like she could explode out of joy any moment now, because of everything that happened. She just revealed who she really was to everyone, and the outcome was the opposite of what she expected. She also grew even closer to Ran, symbolizing the start of a new friendship. But most of all, she was very happy in the end. Shiho will never forget the words that he spoke today:

 _"That ring that I gave you is simply a sign of my love and that I'll never leave you for the following years. We'll always be together."_

* * *

 _ **Next on I'll Always Be Here…**_

 _ **"About damn time, Kudo!"**_

 _ **"You look so kawaiiiii!"**_

 _ **"Arigato… Gin…"**_

 _ **"Onee-chan, I'm the happiest woman in the world…"**_

 _ **CHAPTER 47: THE WEDDING**_

* * *

 _ **And there you have it! The truth has been revealed! Everyone now knows who they really are. Kind of sad that Hakase isn't here to witness all of this… In case you're wondering, the whole Detective Boys had no school since Teitan Primary School was blown up, remember? A new school was built to replace itz hence their new place of learning. Now that this chapter is out of the way, we can now proceed to the most awaited chapter of them all...**_

 _ **I have completed everything that I wish to happen in DC here in my fic. A new syndicate along with the BO, two new OCs, my ships alive and kicking, Sonoko finding out about Conan, Gin turning into a good guy, and Vermouth as an FBI agent and the daughter of James. But all of this is just behind my ultimate wish. The one thing I want in DC. I don't even care if all of these don't become real just for my true wish to be reality. CoAi is the ship that inspired me to start writing fanfiction, and I want to give it a confirmation. The next chapter is gonna be THEIR WEDDING!**_

 _ **I will discuss why I want those events to happen in DC. Feel free to skip reading this, but if you want my reasons, go ahead.**_

 _ **I want a new syndicate to appear in DC. And not just a short appearance. I mean a full-fledged organization like the BO. I'm not being evil because of giving him another syndicate to handle, but because it would be awesome to see the gang take on new enemies, solve new mysteries, and go on new adventures! If this were to happen, not only will I get my wish, but DC will continue to live on and will keep going even after the BO say goodbye. It will be good for the franchise itself too. So far, only the unnamed organization in Magic Kaito is the closest to what I'm talking about. If it's not the Black Organization, then good! It's a sign that DC will continue. From what I showed you all here, two syndicates are involved, and I could only hope I gave an idea of how would things be like if it did happen.**_

 _ **Second, I am hoping for new characters. I made Kazuko and Ryuuichi as APTX victims here to be new friends for the gang and look how things turned out. Because of Ryuuichi, Conan has new and improved gadgets even better than how Hakase upgraded them. I also thought of having a APTX friend of Conan who is not a girl, because there is already Ai and Kazuko. Hence, Ryuuichi was born. Kazuko adds a little life to the Detective Boys because in my opinion, Ayumi's cheerful ways are getting left alone and boring, so I came up with Kazuko's character. She's super rich and has the money to cheer her beloved friends up with a road trip, a night-out, check-in at a hotel, and many more. To put it simply, I created an upgraded version of Ayumi. Both characters are very good and reliable friends to both Conan and Ai, and me as an author, am proud of my work. Some may hate Kazuko for her closeness to Conan, but I won't care anymore. Because after the next chapter, CoAi will be official.**_

 _ **All of the ships I support in DC are here and I had them developed my own way. But really, my most favorite backstory is that of Kaito and Akako. So much emotion was shown, and I even had a chapter dedicated to them! Next would be Hakuba and Aoko, because I love how cute it is during the time Hakuba comforts her after moving on from Kaito. All of my ships will eventually get their own spin-off fics based on this, and I don't really need to say much about this so next…**_

 _ **If you want to view the rest guys, visit New Direction in FB. This chapter is for the story, not the essay I'm writing! LOL. Another thing to watch out for here is Gin's new codename. Since his new name is Allen Jones, he'll have a new codename too. Along with the essay, I posted four pictures which will symbolize the new codename. It's like 4Pics 1Word ladies and gents! The first person who manages to figure out the codename first will be featured in TNG as an OC! So if you're interested in the offer, go check out my page and start guessing!**_

 _ **Anyway, there will be a huge timeskip next time we meet and be prepared for the long-awaited wedding between my OTP. The songs in this chapter are 'Closer' and 'Distance' from the Naruto series and 'Masayume Chasing' and 'Egao no Mahou' from Fairy Tail. Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

 _ **-Lance**_


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